The Brothers Pendragon
by tea-and-fiction
Summary: Camelot, and especially Arthur, are shocked when a long-hidden truth comes to light. Apparently, Arthur has a twin brother who is a very powerful warlock. Now if only Gaius would tell him where he is. Canon AU
1. An Unexpected Visit

**Grammar and minor issues updated 1/17/2019.**

Author's note: This story was originally written by the author nkshamma, who only wrote one story and hasn't updated since 2015. The original story has 6 short chapters, and I really loved the idea and wanted to keep it going. I'm rewriting it while keeping most of the ideas the original author wrote. However, I want to finish it and make it my own, so expect to see some changes to the original story. It's definitely not going to be a copy paste, and then added in chapters. Hopefully, you all enjoy! (And if nkshamma does return and wishes for me to remove this story, then I will. I just wanted to keep this great story idea going. Honestly, I'm surprised there aren't more stories with this idea out there. Also, I'm combining the first three chapters into one, since they were pretty short.)

...

It was a normal day in Camelot. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened, nor was there any reason to suspect that anything out of the ordinary would happen. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, and the birds were singing. There had been no threats, no attacks, and nothing even slightly upsetting had happened for weeks upon end.

Still, there was something in the air that particular day. Merlin could tell that something, although he didn't know what, was about to happen, and it worried him. However, as nothing had happened yet, Merlin had gone to work to do his chores as usual, leaving Arthur to go about his own business as well.

While Merlin was cleaning and having an overall uneventful day, King Uther and his son, Arthur, were holding court in the castle's throne room. Gaius, and Arthur's most trusted knights, Gwaine, Elyan, Percival, Leon, and Lancelot, were all present, amongst other important nobles. The large group were all gathered around the long wooden table and had just begun to wrap up a discussion on training initiatives for the knights, when, suddenly, two unknown women were escorted into the room by two guards.

"Sire." One of the guards acknowledged, bowing in the king's direction. "I apologize for interrupting, but these two women insisted they had to speak to you. They claim they know the court physician."

As the guard finished speaking, the women stepped forward. Gaius, recognizing the women, stood and walked forward to greet them.

"Gaius," King Uther questioned, "who are these women?"

"My Lord, these are the midwives who took care of your late wife, Queen Ygraine, when she gave birth. Their names are Mary and Martha." Gaius replied. Both women curtsied politely to the King. Their appearances were plain and their clothing well worn, but they had a motherly and kind air about them.

"What brings you here?" Inquired the King dryly.

"My Lord, we live in a small village near the southern border of Camelot. Our village is going through a drought. We've supported ourselves for as long as we could, but we are running dangerously low on supplies. We thought we might be able to find assistance here." said Mary.

"Oh, yes! We've heard such wonderful things about your majesty. And we've heard wonderful things about Prince Arthur!" Martha added happily. "We were hoping we might finally get to meet the princes, as we had to leave so suddenly after the Queen passed. God rest her lovely soul."

"Camelot would be pleased to help your village." Uther replied quickly. "I will see to it that a few knights are dispatched with supplies, and they can escort you back to your village and see that your needs are met." Both women began to thank the King profusely. He smiled slightly before waving a hand to silence them. "As for your second request, as you were both there when my son was born, you may indeed meet the Prince." Uther gestured for Arthur to come forward. Arthur stood, and moved to his father's side. "This is my son, Arthur Pendragon." Arthur responded with a slight smile and a nod of his head to both women.

Mary and Martha both curtsied to him with smiles on their faces, looking genuinely pleased to meet him. However, both women looked a bit confused as well. Martha quickly spoke up after the greetings were shared, asking "My Lord, where is the second prince?"

Everyone in the throne room went silent, turning towards the King with confused looks on their faces. Arthur especially was confused by the woman's remark and gave his Father a quick glance. His father looked just as bewildered but quickly regained his composure.

"The second prince? You must be mistaken. I only have one son. Which you should know, as you say you were both present at Arthur's birth."

"Yes, my Lord, we were both present when your sons were born." Martha pressed, putting emphasis on the word sons.

"The Queen gave birth to two sons, not one. I was there. I saw it." Added Mary. "After the first son was born and Martha removed him from the room, the Court Physician and I remained with the Queen. Within a few moments, the Queen began to have contractions again and Gaius realized that she was giving birth to another child. She gave birth to another son, sire. He was a healthy child, and I remember looking into his eyes. They were a brilliant shade of blue, just like Prince Arthur's, but with specks of gold in them. And his hair was black." She then turned to look at the court physician, her eyes pleading with him to support her story. "The Court Physician was there, sire." She added, "He knows there is a second son."

The entire room was deadly quiet in shock at the women's story. All eyes turned to look at Gaius for answers, and he quickly began to look rather uncomfortable, fidgeting in his chair while refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

"Gaius?" Uther spoke in as calm a voice as he could manage. "Have you anything to say on this matter? Is it true, what these women are saying? Do I have another son?"

The physician was quiet for a moment, perpetuating the awkward silence in the room. After a moment, Gaius opened his mouth to speak. The intent to deny what was being said was written all over his face. But before he could say anything, Uther interjected.

"I can see by your expression that you are planning to lie to me. Tell me the truth, Gaius. Do I have another son? Tell me now, and don't you dare lie to me about this." Uther voice wavered slightly as he spoke, shocking Arthur who had rarely ever seen his father as emotional as he was in that moment.

Gaius was silent for a second more before he sighed and finally spoke.

"Yes, my Lord." He admitted with a nod of his head. "The Queen gave birth to two sons. Not just one."

Uther quickly stood, rage clearly present on his face. He slammed his fists on the table with a bang. "Where is my son then? What could possibly possess you to think that deceiving me about my own child's existence was a good idea? And how could you have not said anything about this for all these years? Answer me, Gaius! Give me a reason not to banish you from this kingdom right this second. Where is my son?"

Gaius was quiet yet again, and another long period of silence gripped the room. Eventually, Arthur grew impatient with not receiving an answer. He walked over to where Gaius stood and looked straight into his eyes.

"Gaius, where is he?" Arthur pleaded, his voice filled with the anger, frustration, and sorrow he felt at this new knowledge he had received. "Where is my brother?"

It felt incredibly strange for Arthur to say those words. He had always wanted a brother. It had been his secret desire since he was a small child. Seeing other children playing with their siblings, he would wish that he had the same sort of companionship, someone whom he could share his burdens and secrets with. He'd had Morgana in recent years, of course, but that would never be the same as having a sibling of his own flesh and blood. He had eventually accepted the fact that he would never have a brother, but the loneliness he'd felt hadn't truly alleviated until he'd met Merlin. At least now he had a friend (although he would never admit that out loud to Merlin). But now, he had a brother, and Arthur was desperate to meet him.

Gaius looked at Arthur quietly for only a short moment, but it seemed like an eternity to Arthur as he waited for him to speak. Finally, he sighed and placed a hand lightly on Arthur's shoulder.

"He is alive, safe, and very happy. That, I can promise you. However, I will not tell you where he is, nor will I tell you what his name is, or any detailed information about him." He looked seriously into Arthur's eyes. "It is for his safety that I don't tell you, Arthur."

Gaius removed his hand from Arthur's shoulder and sat back in his chair. Both Pendragons stiffened at his vague response, but before either could raise any objections, Gaius spoke once again.

"There was a good reason we took your brother out of Camelot. He is better off now than he would ever have been had he remained here."

"Who is we?" Uther growled. "What person would dare to commit such treason against the crown, by taking my own son from me?" The rest of the throne room was apparently of a similar mindset, as they all began to mutter their agreement.

"By we, I mean myself, and Balinor." Gaius added reluctantly.

"Balinor?" Arthur asked in shock. "Do you mean the Dragonlord? The man we sought out to stop the dragon that was attacking Camelot?"

"Yes." Gaius replied. "What your father hasn't told you is that Balinor was no stranger; he was your uncle. He was Ygraine's brother, and after her death, Uther hunted him for his Dragonlord powers. He considered them too close to magic. He drove Balinor to flee Camelot, in order to escape execution."

Arthur couldn't believe what he was hearing. His Uncle had died in front of his eyes, and he'd had no idea who the man was. It made him sad to think about, but more so, it made him angry. He whipped around to stare accusingly at his father.

"How could you have kept this from me?" Arthur demanded. "How could you not tell me that the man I was searching for was my own Uncle?"

"Do not speak to me that way." Uther warned, his voice low and dangerous, leaving no room for argument. "I found the information to be irrelevant at the time. Stopping the dragon was more important." Uther turned his furious gaze away from Arthur, and towards Gaius, leveling him with an intense stare. "However, Balinor's relationship to my son is the least of my concerns at this moment. More importantly, physician, I want to know why you and that traitor, Balinor, would take my son away from me? How dare he take my son!" Uther's voice rose to a shout.

"Balinor was no traitor!" Gaius rose to his feet in anger, shouting right back at the king. "He was Yrgaine's brother! Her closest sibling! And you hunted him down simply because he possessed the powers of a Dragonlord. You knew very well that the power of a Dragonlord is passed at a father's death to the eldest son. No one can choose the gift, it is simply given to them. You hunted him for an ability that he had no choice in. Your hatred blinded you so much that not even your own family was safe."

"Enough!" screamed Uther, slamming his fists down on the table once again. "Tell me where my son is, or I will have you thrown in the dungeons!"

"Father!" Arthur interrupted before his father and Gaius, who was still rather enraged, could start fighting. "Please, Gaius. Finish your story. Why did you take my brother away from us?"

Gaius took a deep breath to calm himself and then continued. "Everyone expected that Ygraine would give birth to one son, but the second son came as quite a shock to all of us. There had been no signs that there was a second child. Her second set of contractions came so suddenly after you'd been carried out of the room that it took me off guard. I recovered from the shock quickly, and the midwife and I were able to deliver the second son without any complications. I knew this son was different though, I could feel it, and it was confirmed when his eyes flashed gold as he was handed to the Queen. Your second son had magic, Uther; he was born with it."

Gaius stared defiantly at the king, who was frozen in shock. His hands clutched the arms of his chair in a death grip, and his face had gone white.

"It is rare that a child should be born with magic, but it is not impossible. Your son was given a gift that he had no choice in. He was born a warlock." Gaius explained. "I knew this, I saw it, but the midwife did not. I had sent her out of the room by that point, and Balinor had arrived. Balinor felt the child's power too. He spoke to me and told me that this was the most powerful magic he'd felt in quite some time. It was only moments after that, however, that Ygraine began to fade. Her breathing became harsh, and her skin grew pale. Out of nowhere, she had begun to bleed. I handed the child to Balinor, and rushed to take care of the Queen, but it was no use.

None of my efforts mattered, and she was fading fast. That was until the child's eyes flashed gold, seemingly sensing his mother's distress and trying to use his abilities to help her."

Everyone in the room let out an almost unanimous gasp at the mention of a newborn who could heal his mother with magic.

"Ygraine seemed to stabilize for a short time, and Balinor and I were shocked. Only someone with great power would be able to heal the Queen. It would have been remarkable for a trained sorcerer to do so, let alone a newborn child. We both knew then that this boy would be very powerful."

"But my mother still died." Arthur clarified. "What went wrong?"

"Yes, Arthur. Even though M-" Gaius stumbled on his words, but quickly caught himself and continued. "Your brother was very powerful, Ygraine was simply too far gone. Not even magic could have saved her by that point."

Arthur caught on to the stumble, latching onto the letter M. However, Gaius continued as if nothing had happened.

"Ygraine began to fade once more, but before she was gone she asked to hold your brother. She was so pleased to see him, and her smile was so bright as she held him close to her chest. She kissed him once on his forehead, named him, and handed him back to Balinor before she lay back and breathed her last." Gaius was crying at this point, as the memory of the Queen's death overwhelmed him. He silently wiped a few tears from his eyes.

The physician wasn't alone in his sorrow. Arthur could see that his father was holding back tears as well, and Arthur himself felt close to crying at the thought of his mother's passing.

"Please, Gaius." Uther voice was choked with emotion. He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Tell me the name of my son." Arthur nodded in agreement and shot a pleading look towards Gaius.

"I cannot." Gaius said sadly. "I promised Balinor when we took the boy away from Camelot that I would never reveal his identity. It's not something I can say I am proud of, but it was the right choice." He took a shaky breath and continued his story.

"After the Queen had gone, Balinor and I were optimistic. We had no reason to believe the King would ever harm his children, after all. But as soon as I had delivered the news of the Queen's death, I knew that his second son was in danger. The king immediately began to blame the Court Sorceress, Nimueh, for the Queen's death.."

"Gaius," Uther spoke lowly. "You promised to never speak of this matter ever again."

"Father, I want to know the truth." Arthur protested. "I have been left in the dark about these matters for long enough!"

Uther was quiet for a moment, before conceding. "Very well. But I want all to leave this room, except my son, Gaius, and myself. This is a personal matter."

The occupants stood and began to slowly shuffle out of the room. Once everyone was gone, and only the three men were left seated at the table, Gaius continued his tale once again.

"As I said, the king blamed Nimueh, as she had helped the Queen to conceive with the use of magic. You see, Arthur, your mother was barren, and without the use of magic, she would have never been able to conceive. But magic demands a price. A life cannot be created without another life being taken. Nimueh warned both of your parents of this, but they didn't listen. They desperately wanted a child. After your mother was gone, your father blamed all magic for her death, and even as I told him of his wife's death he swore to eradicate it.

"I quickly returned to Balinor, who was still holding the child and sitting by Ygraine's side, and we made our plan. We had no idea how Uther would react to hearing that his son had strong magical abilities, so we made the choice to take the child out of Camelot, in order to protect him from his own father's rage. It may not have been the best decision, but it was the only decision we could think of at the time."

Gaius shifted his eyes toward Uther and spoke confidently. "Seeing the results of the great purge, I do not think we were wrong to fear what would happen to the child."

"How could you think I would kill my own son?" Uther asked, looking more distraught than Arthur had ever seen him.

"You hunted down your brother-in-law! You killed friends, family, and strangers alike, all for simply possessing magical abilities! Magic runs through your son's veins, Uther. He would have never been able to stop his abilities without pain and eventually death. He has to practice magic, he has no choice. How was I to know that you would not turn on him too?" Gaius sighed, and his shoulders slumped. "Even if you hadn't killed him, what's to say he wouldn't have felt like a monster for having such abilities? Or what would he have thought, seeing people like himself killed left and right with no remorse? I can't imagine the harm that would do to a child, growing up seeing his own father kill his kind."

Arthur's eyes had filled with tears at this point when suddenly a thought struck him.

"The vision of my mother that Morgause conjured: that wasn't all lies, was it?" He asked quietly.

"No, but it was a manipulated version of the truth, and most likely not her actual spirit." Gaius replied. "Your mother would never have blamed your father for her death. It simply wasn't in her nature."

Arthur gave a shaky nod, wiping his eyes tiredly.

"I know that you probably still wish to know his name, and where Balinor took him, but I can't tell you that." Gaius added sadly. "Do what you wish with me, sire, but my topmost concern is keeping him safe, even if it's from his own family. I can tell you that he is safe and happy and that he grew up with a family that cherished him and still care for him deeply. He also has many friends and a good life, and I won't let you take that from him."

Arthur could tell that they weren't going to get any more information out of Gaius, no matter what they tried, but that didn't quench his desire to find his brother. He would simply have to do his own investigating. He looked nervously towards his father, wondering what his father would do to Gaius with all he knew now.

Surprisingly, his Father didn't seem to be angry anymore, just tired and very sad.

"You were wrong, Gaius. I would never hurt my son. But I cannot find it in myself to blame you for desiring to keep my son safe. That does not mean I forgive you, or that I can trust you." Gaius nodded in understanding at Uther's statement.

"I think we are all tired now, father. If you're finished with your story, Gaius, then I will retire to my chambers, and leave you two to talk more if you wish."

"Yes, you may go." Uther dismissed him with a brief wave of his hand. Arthur stood, nodded to his father, and turned to address Gaius once more.

"I understand that you were trying to protect my brother, but I won't give up looking for him now that I know he exists." Arthur said firmly. Just because he understood Gaius' motives, didn't mean he had to like them.

Arthur left before Gaius could reply, turning and walking out of the room with a mission on his mind. He needed to return to his chambers, gather his knights and Merlin, possibly Gwen as well, and decide their next course of action. Arthur was going to find his brother.


	2. Pieces Fall Into Place

**Grammar and minor issues updated 1/17/2019. Also made Merlin a bit less weepy. Still emotionally overwhelmed, but fewer tears.**

Author's Note: A bit of a shorter chapter this time. I'm going to start deviating from the source material during this chapter. I'm combining the last three chapters written somewhat, but I'm going to go about it a little bit differently. Expect the next chapter to be entirely new material!

...

The unexpected revelations that had been shared with Arthur by Gaius had taken nearly the entire day, and as Arthur looked outside he could see that the sun was beginning to set. Arthur knew that he needed to hurry and gather his closest friends if he wanted to get anything done tonight. He flagged down a servant who was walking through the halls and ordered them to fetch his closest knights and Guinevere. The servant bowed and hurried away.

Arthur walked briskly the rest of the way to his chambers, not pausing until he had reached them. As he opened the door he noticed Merlin, who had by now finished all his chores, crouched in front of the hearth, stoking the fire. He looked up at Arthur as he approached.

"Where have you been all day?" Merlin asked quizzically, as he continued to work on the fire. "I thought you said you didn't have much to do today?"

"I didn't originally, but I received some unexpected news which took up quite a fair amount of my time." Arthur replied as he sunk into a chair, and rubbed his temples tiredly.

"Unexpected news?" Merlin asked curiously, standing up and making his way to Arthur's side.

"Yes. I'll tell you when everyone else arrives." Arthur replied with finality in his tone, motioning for Merlin to sit at the table with him. Merlin raised an eyebrow at his statement but said no more as he too sat down in a chair.

At that moment, a knock rang out.

"Come in!" Arthur cried regally, and the door swung open to reveal all of his closest knights and Guinevere, who all filed inside quickly and quietly.

"Thank you all for coming. I know it's growing late, but we have a lot of pressing matters that need to be addressed." Arthur addressed the group confidently. The knights all nodded in agreement, but both Gwen and Merlin looked towards each other questioningly.

"Are you going to tell us what's going on first?" Merlin asked.

"Yes, Merlin." Arthur sighed. "I was getting to it. Do you mind?"

"Sorry." Merlin replied a bit sheepishly.

"Now, as all of you know, save Merlin and Guinevere, it was revealed today that I am not an only child, as I had once thought." Merlin and Gwen gasped slightly, but neither interrupted.

"The two midwives who were present at my birth arrived today in Camelot, and they revealed the existence of a second son to my Father. A son that Gaius knew about, and whom he smuggled out of Camelot soon after my mother passed away."

"Oh Arthur, you have a brother!" Gwen exclaimed excitedly as she gave him a caring smile. He smiled back slightly but didn't respond.

"Wait, Gaius?" Merlin sounded truly confused at the thought of his mentor keeping such a big secret. "Why on earth would he do that?"

"The answer to that is not so simple, Merlin. Gaius refused to provide any more information about it, other than that my brother is alive and well, and that he is apparently a very powerful warlock, and has possessed magic since his birth. He claims he was afraid of how my father would react to his son possessing magic, and that's why he enlisted the help of Balinor the Dragonlord, who was also my Uncle, another fact that was kept from me, to smuggle him out of the city before my father learned of his existence. He did, however, slip up at one point, leading me to believe that my brother's name begins with an 'M', which is a start."

"Not a very good one, though. Eh, Princess?" Gwaine added. "Afterall, there are probably a few people with a name that starts with 'M' in the kingdom."

"Like Marvin, the stable boy. Or Sir Marcus, or Sir Matthias." Lancelot suggested.

"Heck, it could even be Merlin here!" Gwaine teased.

"Except that none of them are extremely powerful magicians." Leon reminded them.

"Exactly." Replied Arthur. "Leaving us with no clear option of where to go from here. Which is why I've gathered all of you here. We need to start coming up with ideas on how to go about finding my brother."

Arthur sat back and observed the group as they quietly mumbled ideas amongst themselves. All but Merlin, Arthur noticed.

In fact, Merlin was looking more and more distressed by the moment, and his eyes flew about wildly as his brain seemed to be racing with thought. Arthur was intrigued, wondering what could possibly be going through Merlin of all people's mind.

"Merlin, do you have something to add?" Arthur pushed.

"W-what?" Merlin stuttered, his head whipping around almost painfully to look at Arthur, and a panicked look coming over his face.

"You look as if you're thinking of something, care to share it with the rest of us?" Arthur pressed.

"No, it's nothing, Sire." Merlin replied nervously, biting his lip and looking away. Arthur could tell he was lying, but he was willing to let it be for now, sensing that Merlin wasn't going to share even if he pressed him further. "If it isn't too much to ask, Sire, might I return to my chambers? I'd like to talk to Gaius. Maybe I can get more information out of him?"

Arthur paused, thinking it over, before nodding his consent. "I suppose it would do us all some good to think it over for a bit. Maybe we can reconvene tomorrow with a fresh start."

Everyone seemed to be in agreement, and they all stood and began to exit the room. But before Merlin could leave, Arthur grabbed his shoulder, holding him still and keeping him behind until everyone else had left.

"Merlin, I can tell you have something to say. I'm not going to press now, but you can be certain that you will tell me at some point. Understood?"

"Y-yes, Sire." Merlin gulped and fled the room before Arthur could say any more.

Arthur sighed, quickly readied himself for bed and all but collapsed into the mattress, exhausted by the day's events. Despite his racing thoughts, it only took a few moments before Arthur was fast asleep, thoroughly worn out.

...

Merlin was unsure of exactly what was going on, but he knew it couldn't be good. His head was spinning with the small amount of information Arthur had shared with them in his chambers, and things were slowly starting to fall into place in his mind. He couldn't say he was very happy with the picture it was painting.

He could hardly believe that Gaius wouldn't have told him that Arthur had a brother! How on earth could he have kept such a thing from him? And Balinor was Arthur's Uncle? Gaius had said Balinor was Merlin's father! Had he lied?

Merlin was beginning to feel slightly sick, and he swayed slightly on his feet, causing him to stop walking and lean against the stone wall for support.

Arthur said his brother's name probably started with an 'M'.

Arthur said his brother had powerful magic, even from birth.

Arthur said Balinor had taken this incredibly powerful baby whose name started with 'M' out of Camelot.

Merlin's head was beginning to ache. He couldn't take this anymore, he needed to talk to Gaius. He needed an answer, now. He pushed himself off of the wall and began to run at full speed back to the physician's chambers.

He burst through the door, uncaring of the way it slammed into the wall as he entered, causing a few glass bottles to shake and some to fall off and crash against the floor.

"Merlin!" Gaius began to scold him, but he stopped when he noticed the terrified look on Merlin's face.

"Arthur has a brother whose name starts with 'M' and you know who he is and where he is and Balinor helped to remove him from Camelot and he's a warlock and-" He paused his rambling to catch his breath, but when he tried to breathe in, he found himself choking on an unbidden sob. He slid to the floor, thoroughly confused and overwhelmed.

"Did you lie to me, Gaius?" He asked quietly. "You told me Balinor was my father, but that wasn't true was it?" I know who Arthur's brother is, don't I?" He let out a bitter laugh laced with grief. "How could you lie to me like this? How could you not tell me who I am?"

Gauis started to speak, and a part of Merlin grasped onto the thought that maybe he was all wrong about this, that everything was just some horrible coincidence his frazzled mind had put together. But his fears were confirmed when Gaius spoke.

"I may have lied to you, but I did it for your protection."

Merlin choked on a sob once again. "Why, Gaius? How could hiding this from me ever be a good idea? How could you tell me that Balinor was my father, and put me through the pain of watching him die, thinking that?" Another sob. "M-my mother isn't even my mother is she?" Merlin could barely think at this point. His entire existence was crumbling around him, and he felt truly lost and alone. Everyone, his entire life, they'd all been lying to him. His mother, Gaius, Balinor, everyone he'd cared about. It had all been a lie. How was he supposed to deal with this knowledge?

"Oh, Merlin." Gaius's tone was comforting, and it was so close to being normal, save the situation, that Merlin couldn't help but sob yet again. He was growing weary of all the tears, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. Gaius leaned down and placed a hand lightly on Merlin's arm. Merlin wanted to shake him off, but he was too emotionally drained to move. "I am sorry, my boy. It may not have been the right choice to make, but I've only ever wanted to keep you safe and happy. It's all I've ever wanted, and all your Uncle Balinor and Hunith ever wanted as well. I only told you Balinor was your father because I thought it might help him to know who you were, and maybe would help convince him to come with you. It may have been the wrong thing, but It was all I could think of at the time."

"I-if Balinor isn't my father, then how could I have inherited his powers?" Merlin managed to choke out.

"The powers go to the eldest, and closest, kin who possess magical abilities. Arthur would be the eldest, but since he possesses no powers, the abilities were instead passed to you." Gaius paused for a moment. "Merlin, your mother loves you very much, that I can promise you." Merlin nodded his head in response. He knew that. Even if she had lied, he knew that she still loved him deeply, and he would never doubt that fact. That didn't mean it didn't hurt to think she wasn't his mother by birth, however. That would no doubt take quite a long time for his mind to get over.

Suddenly, Merlin was struck by the reality of the situation, and his grief turned to fear. "Oh no. I can't do this! Uther is my father! He'd want me dead if he knew who I was and what I can do." His breathing sped up as he began to panic, and he shook his head wildly. "I can't be a Pendragon! I can't! I-"

"Merlin!" Gaius cut him off firmly, preventing the panic from taking hold. "It's alright. Breathe, Merlin." Merlin took a few deep breaths and regained his composure slightly, although he was still shaking somewhat. "Uther doesn't know who you are, and as long as it remains that way, it will be fine."

"No, Gaius, it won't!" Merlin exclaimed, his head shot up to look Gaius in the eyes. "Arthur knows he has a brother now, and he's not going to rest until he knows who his brother is! He's relentless when it comes to things like this! And he'll find out, and he'll know I have magic, and then our destiny will be ruined all because I-"

"Merlin!" Gaius interrupted once again, causing Merlin to snap his mouth shut almost painfully. Gaius sighed sadly. "I am sorry, Merlin." Gaius whispered softly, and Merlin felt his breath hitch once again. Despite the hurt he felt towards Gaius for lying to him about so many things, Gaius was still the only father figure Merlin had really ever known, and he couldn't find it in himself to truly be angry with him. Merlin uncurled himself from on the floor and wrapped his arms tightly around Gaius.

"We'll work this out Merlin, I promise you." Gaius soothed him. "Get some sleep, and we'll talk again in the morning, and make a plan about what can be done." Merlin wiped his eyes and nodded slightly in compliance. He was exhausted, and curling up in his bed was far too much of a temptation to avoid any longer.

Without another word, Merlin moved into his room, shutting the door behind himself and collapsing onto the bed without even removing his shoes. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.


	3. Moving Forward

**Grammar and minor issues updated 1/18/2019.**

Author's note: Just so you know, I'm going to eventually have a good!Morgana in this story. You'll start to learn more about that in the next chapter though. I'm also hoping to patch up a few plotholes here and there in the next chapter as well. Also, I know I've been posting these chapters pretty fast, but I can't guarantee I'll continue to be so speedy in releasing chapters. I'm on break from Uni at the moment so I have a lot of free time to write. But who knows, maybe I'll be able to finish this story before classes start again!

Another thing, I hope I did Uther justice in this chapter. I struggle writing him, but I tried my best. I see him as a broken man, but who is not necessarily evil at heart. I think he's truly doing what he thinks is right for his kingdom and his family, and I tried to reflect that in this chapter.

...

Merlin awoke early, as the sun was just beginning to rise. He'd slept soundly through the night for the most part, but the anxiety that had settled in his chest from the past day was beginning to take its toll and had interrupted his rest.

He sat up reluctantly, stretching his limbs and trying to remain calm. It wasn't working though. He was completely overwhelmed with what he'd learned in the past day, and he had no idea what to do about any of it. He knew that Gaius would prefer for him to keep quiet, to not tell anyone about his newfound parenthood, but Merlin wasn't sure he was ready to do that. He felt as if he didn't tell someone, then it was going to burst out of him at an inopportune moment.

He rubbed his eyes tiredly, wondering who else he could go to for advice. He pondered for a moment, before deciding he would have to ask Kilgharrah. The dragon usually had some sort of good advice hidden under his layers of riddles. So Merlin quietly snuck out of his chambers, through the physician's chambers, and out of the castle.

As he walked to the nearest clearing that was just far enough away to avoid suspicion, Merlin began to think about his options.

Revealing himself to the King seemed like a horrible idea, and was not, and never would be, an option. Merlin had no idea how the King had reacted to learning he suddenly had a magical son, but he couldn't imagine he was pleased by the fact. The best case scenario Merlin could think of in this situation would be the King allowing him to live, but suppressing his magic, or forcing him to stand by and watch other magic users be massacred while he could do nothing about it. Merlin couldn't let that happen. He needed his magic to fulfill his destiny with Arthur, and he wasn't going to sit idly by in any case. Worst case scenario, the King could have him killed, banished, attempt to make him use his magic as a weapon, or a number of other horrible scenarios that all made Merlin's stomach churn with anxiety. No, Merlin decided, it would do no good to tell the King. And his destiny with Arthur came first and foremost.

But what about telling Arthur? Surely, if they shared such a grand destiny, as he'd been told, then he'd have to accept him at some point. Or would it ruin his destiny to talk to Arthur? Maybe Arthur wouldn't care that much, but what if he did? If he grew angry and had Merlin killed, or banished him, or-

No, Merlin shook his head to dispel his negative thoughts. He and Arthur were friends of a sort, even if Arthur would never admit it, and they'd even developed some sort of trust between them over the years since he'd become his manservant. Merlin didn't think Arthur would kill him, not now. But knowing about Merlin's abilities, that could put a wedge between them. But whether or not that would get in the way of their shared destiny, Merlin wasn't sure. Hence his choice to meet with Kilgharrah.

Merlin's thoughts died off as he reached the clearing, and he yelled his summons to the dragon. It only took a few minutes for the dragon to come into view and only a few minutes more for him to land in the clearing. Merlin was glad he wasn't too far away. He wasn't sure he would have been able to stand a long wait.

"Young Warlock." Kilgharrah acknowledged with a nod of his head. "I see that you now know the secrets surrounding your birth."

Merlin felt anger rise up inside of him. He'd forgotten that, of course, the dragon would have known this would happen. Sometimes he detested the way he hid things from him.

"How could you not tell me this?" Merlin accused him, anger seeping into his tone. "Surely this is important for me to know! At the very least this is certain to affect my destiny!"

"It is irrelevant to your destiny what blood runs through your veins. The outcome will still remain the same. I saw no reason to trouble you with things you could not change, and that would certainly come to light at the hands of others anyway." Kilgharrah looked thoroughly uninterested in the conversation, making Merlin even angrier.

"Still, I had a right to know!" He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why does everyone seem to think I'm incapable of handling my own affairs? Have you all forgotten that this is my life, my destiny? It's my job to decide what I do with my life, not everyone else's." He sighed and calmed himself somewhat. "That's not why I came here though. As angry as I am with you right now, I need your advice."

"And what sort of advice are you looking for?" Kilgharrah said, lowering his head and looking intently at Merlin.

"You said this wouldn't affect my destiny with Arthur, right?" Merlin clarified.

"Yes. That is correct. Your destiny with Arthur remains fixed, whether or not you were ever made aware of your parenthood. After all, you are two sides of the same coin."

"If it doesn't affect my destiny, then should I tell Arthur or not? Or should I keep this a secret from everyone?" Merlin cut straight to the question, not wanting to lengthen this conversation any more than necessary.

"That is for you to decide." Kilgharrah responded with a slight smile.

"But I want to know what will happen if I tell him. What if I decide to tell him, and then he hates me? Wouldn't that affect my destiny?" Merlin pressed for specifics, even though he knew it was probably unlikely that he would get any.

Kilgharrah surprised him by standing on his hind legs and letting out a loud laugh that echoed through the clearing. When he settled back down, he leaned in close to Merlin once more and spoke.

"A half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole, young warlock." He sat up and looked towards the sun, which by now had risen over the treetops. "I think it is time for you to head back before you are missed."

"But you still haven't given me an answer!" Merlin yelled as Kilgharrah opened his wings and began to flap them.

Kilgharrah simply laughed yet again, and took to the sky, flying rapidly away without another word.

Merlin huffed at the non-answer. Although, he supposed, he should have expected it from him by now. He turned and began to walk back to Camelot, pondering the dragon's words in his mind as he went.

...

By the time Merlin had reached his chambers once again, Gaius was awake and was cooking their breakfast over the fire.

"Merlin!" He exclaimed as he looked towards where Merlin stood by the door. "I thought you were still asleep, my boy." He sat down the spoon he was holding and stood up to face him.

"I went to talk to Kilgharrah." He explained. "I needed advice."

"And what did you ask him?" Gaius asked, his eyebrow quirked.

"Whether or not I should tell Arthur." Gaius started to protest, no doubt to tell Merlin this was a secret he needed to keep, but Merlin held up a hand to silence him before he could begin.

"I know you think I shouldn't tell anyone, and I understand that. I do. But this is my life, and I'm going to do what I think is right with it. It's not your job to try and control my life anymore."

"And what do you believe is the right thing to do?" Gaius asked cautiously.

Merlin sighed, and his shoulders slumped under the weight of his decision. "I thought it over, as I was walking back, and I'm going to do it. I'm going to tell Arthur. I know you think it's too dangerous, but he needs to know. If we have this destiny everyone speaks of, then I think it's time I let him know about it."

He raised his eyes to meet Gaius's, afraid of the disappointment he would see, but he was surprised to see only resignation and an expression that looked suspiciously like he was proud of Merlin. He didn't say anything, but simply nodded, and moved back to the fire, removing their breakfast and sitting it down on the table. He gestured for Merlin to take a seat.

"Well, eat up then." He finally spoke. "You won't want to have such a serious conversation on an empty stomach."

"Aren't you going to try and talk me out of it?" Merlin asked, confused by his mentor's reaction.

"No, Merlin." Gaius smiled sadly. "I've done some thinking of my own, and I think you're right. Not about telling Arthur, but about the fact that it is your secret now, not mine. It should be your decision." He paused and looked intently at Merlin. "Just promise me you'll be careful, my boy. I don't want to lose you."

Merlin smiled softly. "I promise, Gaius. I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't think it's what's best for everyone involved. And it's not like I'm planning on telling the King, just Arthur."

Gaius nodded his acceptance of Merlin's statement, and they both sat down and began to eat their breakfast.

Everything was quiet between the two of them, which made the sudden knock on the door all the more alarming. Merlin's frazzled nerves caused him to jump slightly at the sound.

"Merlin? Gaius? I'm sorry to bother you both, but may I come in?" The voice belonged to none other than Lancelot.

"Come in!" Merlin answered, and the door swung open slowly.

Lancelot walked inside and stood next to the door. He was dressed in his armor, ready to head to the training grounds for morning drills most likely, and he looked a little bit nervous.

"Are you alright?" Merlin asked.

"I should be asking that of you, I think." Lancelot said with a nervous laugh. "Afterall, you're the one who just found out you're related to royalty."

Merlin froze.

"You pieced it together then?" Gaius asked warily.

"Well, I wouldn't say I knew for sure, but I had suspicions. You've just confirmed them for me."

"Are you going to tell anyone?" Gaius questioned.

"No. I've kept Merlin's other secret. I suppose this is just one more to add to the list." He smiled softly at Merlin, and Merlin was grateful he had such a loyal friend in Lancelot.

"Well, you won't have to keep it secret for much longer. At least not from Arthur." Merlin replied.

"You're going to tell him?" Lancelot sounded shocked.

Merlin nodded.

"Aren't you afraid of how he'll react?"

Merlin shrugged in response. "I feel like it's time," was all Merlin could think of to say, and he returned to eating his breakfast.

The room was quiet for a moment before Lancelot finally responded. "Well, I can only hope for the best for you, my friend. You will tell me how it goes, won't you?"

"Of course." Merlin replied with a nod.

Lancelot nodded in return. "I have to head to the training grounds, but if you need me, I'll be there." Merlin caught the message behind his words. If this went horribly wrong, he would still have Lancelot's friendship and his help.

"Thank you. I promise I'll be careful." Merlin replied.

"Good luck then, my friend." Lancelot replied, and he exited the room.

Merlin turned his focus once again to his food, a stone of anxiety forming in his stomach that made it hard to think about taking another bite. He forced himself to swallow one more spoonful, and the room grew quiet once again.

...

Arthur had awoken early that morning with a mission. He'd dressed before the sun had risen, not willing to wait for Merlin to arrive, and had quickly summoned a servant, asking them to call his closest confidants and inform them to come to his chambers as soon as possible. He needed to meet with everyone again, and he wasn't going to waste any time. He'd then flagged down a guard, asking them to inform the knights that training was canceled for this morning. He had more important things to focus on right now.

He absentmindedly worked on paperwork while he waited for everyone to arrive, but his mind wasn't in it, and he barely managed to read a few lines before he lost his place and began to focus on the conundrum of his mysterious brother's identity yet again. Admittedly, he didn't have much to go on in order to find his brother. The letter M and his age wouldn't help him that much, and the fact that his brother had powerful magic would likely have caused him to be secretive anyways. He also couldn't simply travel around the kingdom asking people at random if they were the lost prince of Camelot. That wouldn't work. He needed a plan.

Arthur sat down the quill that he had been holding, and rubbed his temples in frustration. It was times like these where he missed Morgana. He hadn't realized until after she'd disappeared how much he'd relied on her for advice and support, even if they did bicker more often than not. He hoped, not for the first time, that she was safe, wherever she was.

At that moment, a knock sounded on his chamber door, and Guinevere, followed by his knights, entered.

"Good, you're all here." Arthur began, before noticing that one person was missing. "Where's Merlin?" He added with a sigh.

"I just spoke to him in Gaius's chambers, a few minutes before the servant you sent to fetch us spoke to me. I'm sure he'll be here soon, Sire." Lancelot replied. He seemed a bit off, Arthur noticed, but he didn't press for answers. Lancelot's odd mood wasn't one of his highest concerns at the moment.

"Well, take a seat everyone. Are there any new ideas on the identity of my brother?"

"I think you should consider looking at the populations of nearby towns, Sire." Leon gave the first suggestion.

"Have you considered that they might have smuggled him out of the country? Maybe into Carleon's territory?" Percival offered.

"Or maybe they took him just to the edge of Camelot?" Elyan added. "It would be far enough away, but still feasible to reach in a short amount of time."

Everyone was silent for a moment, considering the possibilities for themselves when suddenly Lancelot spoke up.

"Perhaps we already know the person, Sire." He spoke softly.

"Yeah, I'm sure we all know a super powerful wizard!" Gwaine laughed, effectuvely ending that train of thought, and the conversation turned towards what sort of questions they might ask people to find the missing prince. Arthur didn't miss the look that Percival shared with Lancelot though. It was almost as if they knew something the rest of them did not.

Suddenly, the door burst open, revealing a frazzled looking Merlin. His hair was mussed, and his clothes were wrinkled as if he'd slept in them. He paused at the door frame and placed one hand out to steady himself, while the other ran nervously through his hair.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to you, Arthur." Merlin spoke desperately. "Alone. Please. It's important." He looked very serious, so much so that Arthur was a bit worried about what he had to say.

Arthur nodded his acceptance and stood to his feet. "The rest of you are dismissed. We'll continue this discussion later."

Arthur watched as everyone filed out of the room. Guinevere cast Merlin a worried look at his disheveled appearance, and he shot her a comforting smile in return, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. As Percival passed him, he gave Merlin a knowing look, causing Merlin to squirm slightly and look rather nervous. The most interesting encounter though was with Lancelot, who paused long enough to whisper something to Merlin and place a comforting hand on his shoulder. Merlin seemed to relax slightly at whatever Lancelot said, and he smiled at him as he left the room, leaving Arthur and Merlin alone.

Merlin shut the door to Arthur's chambers and turned to look at him.

"Well, sit down and tell me what you have to say." Arthur instructed.

They both sat down at the table, facing each other. Arthur noticed that Merlin was worriedly ringing his hands, and looked rather pale.

"Arthur, I, well, I need to tell you something. Something important. And I need you to listen to me and let me finish before you ask questions. Alright?"

Arthur nodded seriously.

"Okay, alright." Merlin cleared his throat. "Well, I suppose I should get to the point. The short version is probably better than dragging it out." He paused slightly, taking a deep breath. "Arthur, I know who the missing prince is. And where he is."

Arthur looked at him in surprise but didn't interrupt. He waited patiently for Merlin to continue, but inside he was quite excited. Merlin must have managed to get the information out of Gaius, though Arthur was surprised he had managed it so quickly.

"I'm not sure you're going to be happy about who it is. In fact, I'm pretty sure you're probably going to be a bit disappointed. But I think I need to tell you anyway. No, I know I need to." Merlin took another deep breath, and he looked up from his fiddling hands and into Arthur's eyes.

"Arthur, I asked Gaius about this, and he confirmed it. I promise I'm not lying to you. I'm telling you the truth."

Arthur believed Merlin in this. Whatever Merlin was about to tell him, it was going to be true. He could see Merlin's nervous conviction in his eyes.

Merlin looked down at his hands once again and mumbled something quietly. So quietly and inaudible that Arthur had absolutely no idea what he had said.

"Merlin, I know I said I wouldn't interrupt, but if you want me to know what you're telling me, you're going to have to stop mumbling and speak up."

Merlin sighed and repeated himself without looking up. "Arthur, I'm the missing prince."

For one second, Arthur was tempted to laugh, and tell Merlin it was a good attempt at a joke but that he'd like to hear the real identity of the prince. But then he saw the way Merlin was curling in on himself, seemingly scared of Arthur's reaction, and he thought of the seriousness in his eyes. Arthur could only conclude that Merlin was telling the truth.

Although it was hard for Arthur to process what Merlin was saying, at the same time he couldn't help but feel happy about this knowledge. Since he'd been told he had a brother, Arthur had imagined to himself what his brother might be like. When he thought of what type of person he'd like his brother to be, he'd automatically thought of Merlin. Of course, not that he'd ever admit that to him. But it was true that Arthur found he got along very well with Merlin, and being around him had made Arthur into a better person.

His next thought was that Gwaine had been right yesterday, and wasn't that an unexpected surprise.

However, all of these happy thoughts fell away when he realized there was one very big problem with this revelation.

"Merlin, you have magic?" He asked as calmly as he could manage, wary of scaring Merlin away.

Merlin flinched at the question but nodded in confirmation.

Arthur felt as if he should be angry, or at least somewhat upset, but all he could think about were all of the events in his life that were suddenly starting to make a lot more sense in his head. All of the times he'd been lucky on a patrol, or that Merlin had just "known" that something was wrong, or that he'd woken up from being knocked unconscious to have miraculously slain a mysterious beast that he couldn't remember even striking a blow to.

"I-I know you're probably angry with me Arthur, but I promise, I've only ever used it for the good of Camelot. Well, I've only ever tried to use it for the good of Camelot, I swear, and I-"

"Merlin," Arthur cut him off by laying a hand lightly on Merlin's own trembling one. "I believe you, and I'm not angry." Even if it shocked him that he wasn't so, he found it to be true. He'd grown to trust Merlin, perhaps more than he should have at times, and he found he couldn't believe that someone like Merlin could be malicious, even if he did have magic.

"Y-you're not?" Merlin's head shot up, and his eyes were wide with confusion and wet with unshed tears.

"No. Although I am a bit disappointed that you didn't tell me after all these years. I've been questioning my Father's stance on magic for years now. Though I can't say I really blame you for being worried. Honestly, I'm a bit more frustrated with myself for not noticing. It all seems rather obvious in hindsight." Merlin sniffled and smiled slightly while wiping his eyes, and Arthur rolled his eyes. "Now is not the time to be a girl, Merlin." He scolded, but with no real heat behind the words.

Merlin scowled at him slightly, before looked at him quizzically. "Are you disappointed that it's me?" He asked softly.

Arthur paused to ponder his response for a moment, before reluctantly answering truthfully. "Well, I can't say I expected this, but if I have to have a brother, at least it's someone I already know and trust."

Merlin blushed slightly at that, clearly uncomfortable with actual encouragement of any kind from Arthur. Arthur was reminded, not for the first time, that he had really been an awful person when they'd met, and he still had a ways to go before he remedied that.

"Merlin, how long have you known about this?" He asked.

"I figured it out last night. I mean, you said your brother's name started with 'M', and that he had magic from birth, and my mother, I mean Hunith, always said that I was very special because I'd had magic since birth. It all just kind of fell into place in my head. When I confronted Gaius, he said I was right in my suspicions." Merlin paused and took a deep breath. "Arthur, now that you know this, what are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure, Merlin." Arthur admitted. "What would you like me to do? After all, it's your life that's going to change when this information is revealed."

"I know it's unfair to ask this of you, but please. Can you not mention this to your father?"

"Merlin." Arthur growled. "He has a right to know. He's not just my father anymore, he's yours too."

"Yes, but I have magic! How on earth will he react to that!" Merlin looked panicked, and he was wringing his hands yet again.

"Merlin, you didn't see him when he received the news. He didn't care about the magic. He was more concerned about the fact that he wanted to meet his son."

Merlin looked at him dubiously, obviously not believing that the stern, magic-hating King would put aside the fact that his son had magic so easily.

"I know it's hard to believe, I can hardly believe it myself, but it's true. I can't say this has changed his views on magic where the law is concerned, but it's definitely not going to affect how he views you."

"But what if you're wrong?" Merlin whispered. "I need to be here, to protect you. And I need my magic to do that. It's important, Arthur. I can't risk your life for Uther's feelings."

"We have to at least try to tell him, Merlin." Arthur replied in a no-nonsense tone. "I promise I'll be careful about it. I have a plan on how to make sure our father won't react badly." Merlin looked unconvinced, so Arthur reached out to grab his hands and still their worrying.

"I promise you, Merlin. I won't let anything happen to you."

"It's not me I'm worried about Arthur. I'm just worried about you, and your destiny. You're going to be the greatest king Camelot has ever known, and I'm not going to let anything get in the way of that."

"Well you may not be worried about yourself, but I certainly am. You mention destiny a lot. I have a feeling that means more than I previously thought. But surely, destiny means nothing if you're not here as well." He sighed, let go of Merlin's hands, and reluctantly added some encouraging words that were hard for him to admit, but that he knew Merlin needed to hear. "You've made me into a better person, Merlin. I can't imagine this destiny will be possible without you."

Merlin looked touched, and much to Arthur's dismay, his eyes began to water once again. Arthur began to speak before things could get too emotional again. He'd seen enough emotions between his father, Merlin, and Gaius in the past few days to last him a lifetime.

"We're going to talk more about this later. I want to know everything about your magic, everything you've done for me and for Camelot. But right now, we need to tell our Father."

Merlin nodded reluctantly.

"Do you trust me, Merlin?"

"Always." Merlin responded without hesitation.

"Good." Arthur replied with a slight smile. "Well then, come along, brother" Arthur said, standing to his feet and pulling Merlin up as well.

Merlin smiled slightly, and together they began to make their way to their father, a plan formulating in Arthur's head. He was determined to keep his newfound family together, no matter what it took.

...

Uther had awoken in the morning, knowing he needed to talk to Gaius. He doubted he would be able to gain any more information about his son's whereabouts from him, but Uther was a man of action and he wouldn't be content until he at least tried to extract something from the physician. He'd summoned him to his chambers not long after he woke, and now the two of them were sitting in tense silence.

"Gaius. I will not rest until I can find my son, as I know you are already aware." Gaius nodded tensely. "I have already lost my ward, and I am not prepared to allow another member of my family to slip through my fingertips. I am prepared to admit, however, that I am aware that your fears are legitimate. I am prepared to rectify this situation if I can, but I am unsure what efforts will be enough for you."

Gaius was silent for a few moments. "With all due respect Sire, I believe that you must do something to prove to your son that he would be loved and safe here. Without a public reassurance of some sort from you, I can't imagine he will ever truly feel safe in Camelot. Or at least, that he will feel safe with you."

Uther bristled at once again being told he was somehow a danger to his own son, but he kept his composure, determined to gain information.

"What would you suggest then?" Uther pressed.

"I wouldn't assume to know what would be best for your majesty, but I can tell you where I see the largest problem area." Uther already knew what Gaius's next words would be before he spoke them. "Your persecution of magic users, sire, is certainly the most pressing problem where your son is involved."

Uther stood, and began to pace. He remained silent for a while, not answering Gaius, as he thought his words over in his head. Eventually, he stopped his pacing and supported himself by placing one hand on the back of a chair and leaning into it slightly. He was simply exhausted these days, and he found that his stone cold resolve was beginning to slip more and more as the days went by.

"I cannot remove the ban for one person, Gaius. Even if that person is my own son." Uther finally spoke, weariness seeping into his tone.

Gaius was silent, but Uther could see that he was disappointed by his answer.

"There have been too many years of persecution to revoke the ban now. And besides that, magic is still a threat. No, I will not remove the ban, and that is final."

"Then I suppose we are done talking, your majesty." Gaius snapped, standing to his feet and beginning to walk to the door.

"However," Uther began again, and Gaius stopped walking. "I might, just this once, admit to being rather harsh in my persecution of all magic users. I could make some exceptions to the law."

"Making your son the only exception will do nothing to soothe his fears, Sire." Gaius responded, not turning around. "It will only make him feel more isolated, wondering when and if you'll decide he's not worth being an exception to the law, and when you will turn on him too, and persecute him for what he cannot control."

"Yes, I can see that would be the case." Uther admitted reluctantly. "That's why I am prepared to take further steps than that."

Gaius turned around, looking shocked by the king's admittance of being wrong, and his willingness to rectify the situation.

"The least I can do for my son would be to see to it that the patrols searching for magic users are stopped and that those, like the Druids, who do not interfere with our people are left alone." Uther managed to force the words out of his throat, although it was a struggle to say them. He couldn't say that he totally believed this would be a good idea. In fact, he was almost certain that being less diligent in his pursuit of the destruction of magic would be dangerous for Camelot. But for his son, Uther found he was willing to try and ignore his prejudices to an extent. In the past, he might not have done so, but after Morgana had been taken from him, he'd found himself a more broken man, willing to give in areas where he had been previously hard and unmoving.

"It's a good start, Sire, but it's not enough. What about when someone catches a magic user, and they are killed on your orders? How will your son feel then, seeing people like himself killed for no reason other than that they possess magic? As long as the ban remains, and as long as the sentence for having magic remains so harsh, then your son will never truly be safe." Gaius turned to leave once again.

"What would you have me do?" Uther exclaimed, his voice breaking slightly. "I want to see my son, Gaius. I am growing older, and if I cannot find him soon, then what is the chance that I will ever be able to meet my child?" Uther felt so tired and unsure. He needed Gaius to cooperate, but he wasn't sure how to make him talk. "I cannot change the law, Gaius. It's been too long."

Gaius sighed and turned around to face him once more.

"Uther," Gaius replied. "If you cannot change the law, then at least promise not to persecute people for simply possessing magic. That's the only way to remedy this."

"I've already said I wouldn't seek them out, what more do you want from me?"

"If and when the next magic user is turned into you for something mundane like blessing the crops, or healing the sick, pardon them. I'm not asking you to pardon a murderer, or a thief, or anyone dangerous. I'm simply asking you to look the other way when someone has committed no other crime than to possess magic."

"I'm not sure I can do that, Gaius." Uther gritted his teeth. "Not now. Not after everything."

"At least think about it. For your son." Gaius responded, walking to the door. As he reached it, he turned around once more to face Uther.

"If you truly love your son, think on what I've said, Sire."

The door shut behind him with finality, and Uther sunk into the chair wearily. He was broken down, but even in this state, he didn't know if he was willing to go so far as to turn a blind eye to known sorcerers. He placed his elbows on the table, and his head in his hands and began to think seriously about his options. He felt like weeping, but he wasn't so weak just yet, and he held it together.

It only took a few minutes to make his decision. It's was a hard choice to make, but he knew what he had to do.


	4. The Truth Comes to Light

Author's note: Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews! I really appreciate it! Hopefully, this story continues to live up to everyone's standards. Also, this chapter turned into a monster. Over 7,000 words! That's crazy.

Also, I realize this ends on a bit of a cliffhanger in more ways than one. Stay with me! I promise things will resolve themselves soon.

...

Arthur had escorted Merlin as quickly as possible to their father's chambers, not willing to chance Merlin being overcome with nervousness and bailing on him before they reached their destination. And although he would never admit it out loud, it was for his own sake as well. Despite the way he'd pretended to be confident for Merlin's sake, Arthur was also worried about how this discussion would play out. He was fairly certain his father's desire to meet his missing son would overcome his feelings about the magic he held, at least where Merlin alone was concerned, but he couldn't be for sure. He doubted it would change any of his other views about magic, not when they were so thoroughly engrained in his character, but even a small leniency for Merlin would be enough for now. However, he had to make sure before he revealed Merlin's identity. He wouldn't risk Merlin's safety.

His plan to investigate his father's true feelings was rather simple. However, he did feel somewhat bad about it, as it would most likely require him to consciously manipulate his father's weaknesses, something he was loathe to admit he had been doing quite a lot as of late.

The start of his conscious deceptions had all begun after Morgana's disappearance. Before that, he'd occasionally attempted to reason with his father, or play a situation to his advantage, but he'd never actively sought to manipulate him just for the sake of making a situation how he wanted it. However, since Morgana's disappearance, his father's stony mental state had begun to deteriorate slightly. He was by no means completely vulnerable, but he was definitely much more prone to being led in one way or another if you knew how his thought process worked. And Arthur did.

Arthur's first and largest act of defiance had been to insist his father allow him to knight his now closest companions. He'd made the choice to visit his father at his most vulnerable, choosing to visit him in his personal chambers at the end of a long day, when it had been obvious Morgana's disappearance had been troubling him incessantly. During the visit, he'd firmly insisted to his father that they needed all of the loyal fighting men they could get, what with so many of their men being sent out from Camelot to search for Morgana in addition to patrols and regular duties. He'd specifically focused on his father's fear of Camelot being unprepared in the case of war or siege. It hadn't been an easy conversation, but in the end, his father had begrudgingly agreed that the men Arthur had chosen could be given a lowered status of knighthood for now, somewhat between a guard and a knight. Even that, however, had only been after Arthur had promised to be held responsible for those he planned to knight and to personally vouch for their character.

Arthur had wasted no time and had immediately contacted Gwaine and Lancelot, imploring them both to come back to Camelot to be knighted. It hadn't been long before they'd both arrived. However, neither had been alone.

Lancelot had arrived first, bringing with him Percival, whom he insisted was a good friend and would also make a splendid knight. Arthur had trusted Lancelot enough to believe him when he had said Percival was worth knighting as well, and after a short spar and an even shorter conversation, he knighted them both.

Within a few more weeks, Gwaine had arrived. By that point, Arthur had discretely revoked his banishment from the records, another deception on his part. However, he knew his father would have forgotten the man by that point, so he didn't feel too bad about it. When Gwaine had arrived with Elyan in tow, they'd first been met by an ecstatic Guinevere, who wasted no time in embracing her brother whom she hadn't seen in many years. Gwaine had later explained to Arthur that the two had met on the road, as Elyan had finally decided it was time to reconnect with his family. He hadn't planned on staying longer than a few days, but something had caused him to change his mind, although Arthur had never been told just what it was. He'd quickly learned from Guinevere that Elyan was quite adept with a sword, and had invited him to spar with him and his new knights. One thing had led to another, and soon Elyan had joined their group as well.

Arthur had questioned himself throughout the process, wondering if indeed he was really doing the right thing by knighting peasants, even if they were loyal and more than competent. But Merlin had been by his side throughout the process, reminding him of how much both Gwaine and Lancelot had helped them in the past, and convincing him he was doing what was best for Camelot and her citizens. Afterwards, Arthur could only concede he was right, and that it had been worth the deception to have so many loyal men by his side. He'd been grateful for Leon's help as well, as he'd not only been welcoming to the new knights but had made sure they received all the training they would need, having not been born into knighthood. Arthur knew that the moment he was king, these loyal men would receive a full title. After all that they had done for him, and for Camelot, they deserved nothing less. But for now, he was content to let the situation be and enjoy whatever small victories he was able to win where his father was involved.

His mind was pulled back into the here and now as he and Merlin came upon their father's chamber door. Arthur took a deep breath and gave a glance to Merlin to make sure he hadn't lost him, before knocking on the door firmly.

They entered the chambers to find Uther sitting at his desk, deeply engrossed in some sort of paperwork.

"Father." Arthur greeted him warmly, making sure his voice held no hint of the secret he now kept.

"Ah, Arthur. Come in." His father answered, barely glancing up from his work. "I was just about to send someone to fetch you." He had a weary look on his face, and he seemed to be troubled by the words in front of him.

"Send for me? What did you need to talk about?"

"I spoke to Gaius once again this morning. He refused to tell me anything more about your brother, but we did have a discussion about how your brother might feel about the state of things here in Camelot. I was forced to conclude after our discussion that there are some things which would need to change if your brother is ever to join us."

Arthur was confused but didn't say a word. He was curious to hear what sort of changes his father could possibly be considering.

"I've decided to lessen some of the restrictions placed on magic users." Arthur's jaw dropped open, and he could hear Merlin stifle a gasp behind him. "I'm sure you understand that I cannot in good conscious repeal the ban, but I do want to ensure that your brother will feel welcome here. It's against my better judgment that I am considering these changes, Arthur, but I feel that it must be done."

"W-what sort of actions would this entail, Father?" Arthur managed to choke out once his shock had died somewhat.

"Following Gaius's suggestions, I will no longer send patrols after those who are rumored to have magic. I will instead leave them be. That will not extend to threats, of course. But I will not actively seek magic users out. In addition, I will also allow the druids to live on Camelot's lands without fear of persecution."

"That's very, uh, thoughtful of you, Father." Arthur replied, still a bit in shock with these developments. He shot a quick look towards Merlin, wondering how his brother was taking this. Merlin looked somewhat uncomfortable, and Arthur couldn't really tell if he was pleased with this development or not. Although Arthur couldn't see him being overly happy when magic was still illegal, even if Uther was taking some steps to remedy some of his actions.

"There is one more thing." His father added, seemingly reluctant to continue. "Gaius assured me that those actions would not be enough to assure your brother he is welcome here. So I have decided that I will no longer punish those who have used magic for seemingly 'peaceful' purposes. It pains me to do this, as I can only assume that these people will later become corrupted by their powers, even if they are not yet corrupted when they are discovered. It would be simpler to resolve the problem before it happens. However, I am willing to let some magic users live unobstructed lives, as long as they are not seeking to harm Camelot, if it makes Camelot more of a home for your brother."

Arthur had mixed emotions toward his father at that moment, and another quick glance at Merlin confirmed his brother did as well. This was probably the closest his father would ever come to admitting he had been wrong in some ways when it came to magic, but he couldn't help but feel it still wasn't enough. However, it was a start, and the fact that his father was willing to budge at all when it came to magic posed well for Merlin.

"Father, I have something I need to share with you." Arthur spoke up after a few moments, ready to move forward with his plan. "Merlin was able to gain more information about my brother from Gaius last night."

"He did, did he?" Uther replied, looking curiously at Merlin who was trying his best to burrow into himself and be as small as possible.

"Yes. He was able to discover my brother's identity."

"Well, speak up boy. Let's hear what he had to say!" Uther's eyes lit up with hope and he leaned forward in his chair. He looked happier than Arthur had seen him in a long time.

However, before either Arthur or Merlin could continue the conversation, they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of the warning bell ringing wildly.

"What the-" Arthur exclaimed, just before Leon burst into the room, Gwaine right behind him.

"Sires! There is an intruder in the throne room!"

"Are we aware of whom this intruder is?" Uther asked, quickly standing to his feet and walking across the room to grab his sword and strap it to his side.

"A servant gave a description, and it seems to be the sorceress Morgause." Leon answered.

"Call the rest of the knights." Uther exclaimed. Leon nodded in response and quickly left the room.

"We'll have to finish this conversation later, Arthur." Uther strapped his sword to his side before hastily leaving the room.

Arthur and Merlin shared a look between themselves before they followed quickly behind Uther. They began to head to the throne room without another word shared between them.

...

Merlin was absolutely sick with worry. Not only did he have to deal with his newfound parenthood, and the fact that Arthur wanted to tell Uther about who he really was, but now he was about to have to face Morgause for the first time since he'd poisoned Morgana.

Merlin couldn't deny that he was scared of what they would find once they reached the throne room. Would Morgana be there, helping Morgause? Merlin hoped not, but in his heart, he couldn't imagine Morgana would ever be able to forgive him for poisoning her, no matter his reasoning. He had a sinking feeling that Morgana would probably side with Morgause now, and that he'd most likely ruined everything with his actions.

This meant Merlin was thoroughly shocked to see upon entering the throne room only Morgause, standing by herself in the middle of the room, holding a sword by her side in a tight grip. She had no armor and she wore nothing but a simple dress, and a maniacal glint in her eye.

"You!" She screamed, pointing a finger at Arthur, not Uther, as they entered the room. Her voice sounded off to Merlin's ears, no longer slow and confident as he'd heard it last, instead sounding almost crazed. "You will pay for this! She was supposed to trust me!" Morgause lunged towards Arthur suddenly, clumsily raising her sword into the air. Arthur blocked her with ease, and they began to share blows. It wasn't long before Arthur quickly overwhelmed her, much too quickly Merlin noticed, and within moments her sword clattered to the floor. However, Morgause was undeterred by the loss of her weapon, moving instead to raise her hands in front of her body. She began to mutter words in the old religion, forming balls of fire in her outstretched hands.

Merlin grew immediately on high alert, his eyes rapidly searching the room for something, anything he could do to help without revealing himself. However, he was beaten to it when Uther lunged forward with his own sword pointed towards Morgause.

"Father!" Arthur cried out, causing Morgause to notice Uther approaching. She snarled and released the fire she had created towards Uther, aiming it at his chest. Uther managed to dodge just enough for the fire to miss his chest, but it still struck his side, causing him to fall to the ground with a thud and a short cry of pain. Morgause then moved quickly to his side before anyone could react, picking up her sword as she went. When she reached him she began to chant words that had Uther screaming in pain. Merlin couldn't tell what she was doing to him, but it was obvious by the way Uther was convulsing that he wouldn't last much more of it.

Seeing his father writhing on the ground, Arthur rushed towards Morgause with his sword once more. She whipped around to face him, the spell she'd cast on Uther breaking as she focused her concentration on fighting with Arthur once more.

Merlin knew he had to do something now, and fast. Morgause wasn't being cool and collected, and she had no carefully crafted plan that Merlin could hope to foil. No, Morgause was obviously here to kill Arthur and the King, no matter what it cost her.

Merlin braced himself and began to mutter words in the old religion, feeling his power build within him. He pulled on the feeling of energy inside of him and directed as much of it as he could towards his hands, which he stretched out in front of him. He could only hope that Uther had been serious when he'd said he was willing to accept his son's magic. He'd have to rely on that after this.

Once he felt focused enough to attack he called out Morgause's name calmly. She whipped around to face him, confusion and rage mixing on her face, and he let the power go. It shot out towards her in the form of a lightning bolt, similar to how he'd attacked Nimueh on the Isle of the Blessed. It hit her square in the middle of her chest and caused her to crumple to the ground.

Her breath came out in gasps, and she let out one word.

"Traitor." She spat before she muttered something to herself, and a great burst of wind appeared, swirling around her, and she disappeared.

After that, there was a whirl of commotion. The knights, having just arrived, burst through the door to find the king lying motionless on the ground. Arthur, rushed towards his father's side, checking him over, and called for one of the men to fetch Gaius. And Merlin, well, Merlin was terrified and tired from the day's events already, and he'd put a lot of magic into that attack to make sure Arthur was safe and that Morgause didn't come out unharmed, and now he was exhausted. He sunk to his knees, panting slightly. Arthur looked up towards him, concerned. He stood and made his way to Merlin's side.

"Merlin, are you alright?" He asked worriedly."That was brave, but also rather foolish. I don't know if father saw or not." He added in a whisper. Merlin couldn't find it in himself to respond, and he felt his eyelids growing heavy. He could hear Arthur telling him to stay awake, but he was just so tired, and closing his eyes and taking a nap seemed like such a wonderful idea.

His last coherent thought before passing out was that someone had caught him before he hit the floor, and then everything went black.

...

Merlin awoke in a strange bed that wasn't his own, feeling exhausted and sore all over. He sat up and slowly began to observe his surroundings.

The room looked like one of the guest rooms he'd often prepared for nobles. There was the large, very comfy, bed that he was lying on. It had a blue velvet canopy and rich blue bedspread with gold embroidery. In addition to the bed, there was the standard wooden table with a fruit bowl on it, a wooden desk, and a wardrobe. Merlin noticed that there were also a few windows with the curtains drawn. He stood, a bit shaky on his feet, and crossed the room to open one of the curtains. Looking out the window he could see only darkness, meaning he had slept at least the rest of the day away, if not more.

Suddenly, Merlin heard a door opening.

"Merlin! What are you doing out of bed?" Gaius entered, looking rather weary and carrying his physician's bag.

"Gaius? What's happened? How long did I sleep?" Merlin's head still felt a little fuzzy, and he allowed Gaius to seat him back down on the sinfully comfortable bed without a fuss. He sunk bonelessly back into its warmth.

"You passed out, my boy, after placing far too much power into what should have been a fairly simple spell." Gaius scolded, beginning to check him over. "You should be fine by tomorrow morning, but you'll no doubt be tired for a little while longer. This is why you shouldn't attempt spells you don't understand fully. You've been asleep all evening."

"It worked out in the end though. That's all that matters." Merlin protested weakly.

"It did work, but at the expense of your health." Gaius chided. "You may be powerful, but even you have limits."

"Whose rooms am I in?" Merlin asked, carefully ignoring Gaius's comments.

"That's a question Arthur will have to answer." Gauis said cryptically, packing up his bags and walking towards the door. "I'll fetch him, now that you're awake."

Just like that, he was gone, leaving Merlin alone once again in the strange room. He sighed and covered his eyes with his forearm tiredly. He was beginning to develop a headache. He should have said something to Gaius before he'd left.

Within what felt like moments the door to the chambers was opened yet again. Merlin let his arm fall tiredly to his side, and he turned his head to look at the new visitor.

"Ah, good. You're awake." Arthur said, walking slowly into the room and pulling one of the chairs from the table to the side of the bed. He sat down tiredly, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back slightly. "That was quite the magical stunt you pulled Merlin. You should be glad our father didn't see you before we were ready to tell him ourselves."

"That was nothing." Merlin said, waving his hand dismissively in Arthur's general direction. "You should see what I did the last time I saved your princely backside."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "So you always pass out after attacking someone once with your magic? I can't imagine that makes you very impressive in a fight, Merlin."

"Nah, just overpowered my attack this time. I think. That's what Gaius said anyways." He yawned loudly and unexpectedly.

"You are alright though?" Arthur questioned, worry creeping into his voice.

"Yes. Just tired." Merlin answered honestly. "And I have a headache." Arthur nodded in acknowledgment.

"Arthur, not that I'm complaining because this bed is very comfortable, but whose chambers am I in? And why?"

"You're in the chambers next to mine." Arthur replied. "They'll be yours at some point if all goes well. I figured it was a good a place as any to take you for now."

"But won't people suspect something if they find out you're letting me recover here?" Merlin asks, concerned about the secret getting out before they're ready to share it.

"It will be fine, Merlin." Arthur replied tiredly.

"But-"

"No buts, Merlin." Arthur sighed. "Besides, there's something more important we need to discuss right now than which chambers you're convalescing in." Merlin raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"Merlin, Gaius isn't sure what Morgause did to Father just yet, but, well, it isn't good. He's not woken up. Gaius is still examining him, and he doesn't know how he's doing yet. Regardless, I don't need his diagnoses to know he isn't doing well. There is a chance he might never wake up from this."

"Can I see him?" Merlin asked. "Maybe my magic can help?" It wasn't that he was really worried about the King he told himself, but more that he was worried how Arthur would fare if his, or rather their, father died now. A small part of Merlin wanted to get to know his father though, although he was somewhat reluctant to admit it even to himself.

"I appreciate the thought Merlin, but no. You need to rest." Arthur smiled at him sadly. "I've been given strict orders from Gaius to not let you use your magic or complete any hard labor until at least tomorrow." Merlin scowled but didn't push it. He truly was tired.

Just then, a knock sounded on the chamber door, and Guinevere entered with a tray of food balanced on one arm.

"Merlin!" She exclaimed excitedly with a large smile. "You're awake!" She sat the tray down carefully on the table and made her way to the bed.

"Hello, Gwen." He smiled.

"How are you feeling? Arthur wouldn't tell any of us what was wrong, only that you'd passed out." She sat down on the bed next to him, taking his hand and fussing over him. Merlin laughed, and gently pushed her hand away.

"I was just exhausted, that's all. I'm fine now. Gaius said so."

"Well, if you're sure." Gwen replied. "I've brought you both some food. And Arthur said we all needed to gather to talk as soon as you were awake, so I suppose I'll go and fetch everyone now." She rose quickly, smiling at both of them, before quietly exiting the room.

Merlin turned his confused gaze towards Arthur. "What do we have to talk about?" He asked.

Arthur looked somewhat uncomfortable and even squirmed a little in his seat.

"I was planning on constructing a plan to pursue Morgause. If she is wounded, now might be a good time to finish her once and for all. And I was also hoping you might be willing to share some of what we've learned with our friends if you're comfortable."

"Wait, you mean you want to tell them everything?" Merlin asked, sitting up in panic.

"I'm not going to force you, Merlin, but I don't think any of them will take it badly. I'm fairly certain Lancelot and Percival figured it out somewhat this morning-"

"Lancelot already knows." Merlin interrupted.

"Wait," Arthur shot him a dangerous look. "Why would he already know?"

"W-well, he may have, possibly, already known about my magic?" Merlin's voice trailed off nervously, as Arthur's eyes grew angry.

"And why is that, Merlin?"

"He may have seen me enchant his spear in order to kill the griffin?"

"Merlin, do you have any sense of self-preservation?" Arthur groaned, looking thoroughly exhausted. "How many other people know?"

"It's just him, and Gaius, and my mum, of course. I swear. Oh, and Will knew too. And it was only by accident that Lancelot found out. I'm really very careful and-" Arthur shot him a disbelieving look. "Hey, I am! I've saved your life countless times, and no one's noticed a thing!"

"Yes, well as I was saying before you interrupted, other than Lancelot I'm almost certain Percival has put things together as well. And I know how much Gwen and Gwaine care for you, so there should be no problems there either."

"I'm most worried about Leon and Elyan." Merlin confessed. "Leon is so loyal to Camelot, and all of her laws. I'm not sure how he'll feel about me. And I still don't know Elyan very well, so I'm not sure how he'll react either."

Arthur nodded in understanding. "In the end, it's your decision. But I think both Leon and Elyan will grow to accept the idea of you having magic. Especially if so many of us are still supportive of you."

"I guess so. I'll think about it, while you tell them about Morgause."

"That's fine. I'll let you take the lead in saying something if you decide you want to." Arthur replied, and the room fell silent for a few moments.

"Arthur, after everyone leaves, there's something I need to tell you. It's something I did with my magic to protect Camelot, and it's about Morgana. But I need to tell you while we're alone." He sighed. "You're probably not going to be happy about it though." He closed his eyes tiredly.

"Alright." He heard Arthur reply. They sat in silence once again. It was peaceful, a calm before the storm almost, Merlin felt. He was afraid of how Arthur would react to learning about what Merlin had done to Morgana. Merlin hated his own actions, despite not knowing any other alternative then or now, and he couldn't imagine Arthur would be any happier about it. He let his thoughts drift away from anything for the moment, content to lie still and rest with his eyes closed.

"Merlin, mate!" His peace was interrupted by Gwaine's excited voice. Merlin's eyes shot open, and he saw Gwaine and the rest of his friends entering the room. "Princess here said you passed out!"

Merlin nodded.

"Glad to see you're feeling better." Elyan said, and Merlin smiled at them all.

"Thanks." He replied, sitting up to lean against the headboard of the bed.

"What did you want to discuss, Sire?" Leon asked as they all sat down in various places around the room.

"I'm sure you've all heard by now that Morgause was wounded in the fight that occurred today in the throne room. I see this as an opportune time to pursue her and perhaps find Morgana. I want to leave tomorrow while she will still be weak, and attempt to find her as soon as possible." Arthur

"But what about your father? Are you sure you want to leave the kingdom while he is unconscious?" Elyan asked.

"I would rather remain here," Arthur replied. "And if circumstances were different, I would indeed stay and watch over him and the kingdom. But I am unwilling to let this opportunity to stop Morgause go by. That's why I would like you, Leon, to remain here to oversee things while I am gone."

"Of course, Sire." Leon replied.

"There's also s-something else we wanted to tell you." Merlin spoke up having made his decision, his voice breaking due to his nerves. Arthur shared a quick look with him, and Merlin gave a nod of his head to signal that it was okay for him to speak.

"Merlin was able to discover the identity of my brother." Arthur added. "We were attempting to tell my father that today right before Morgause attacked, but sadly we were unable to. Therefore, whatever we share in this room is to be kept in complete confidence, understood?" They all nodded excitedly.

"Merlin, would you like to share?" Arthur pressed him.

"Oh, um, well, sure. I guess." Merlin coughed nervously, his hands shaking slightly.

"Well, I had an idea of who it might be, and so I asked Gaius, and he told me I was right. And, well, I." He paused and took a deep breath. "It's, it's me. I'm Arthur's brother." He watched his hands, too afraid to look up and see how his friends were reacting to the news.

"Wait, Merlin. Mate. Are you telling me you're an absurdly powerful wizard, and you didn't tell me?" Gwaine asked.

Merlin flinched but nodded silently.

"Think of all the missed pranks we could have played with your magic!" Gwaine groaned suddenly, throwing his hands up in the air, and Merlin's head shot up to look at him in confusion.

"H-huh?" Merlin said.

"Gwaine!" Gwen hissed. "Can't you see how nervous he is! Be considerate. This is no time for jokes." She turned to Merlin and smiled soothingly at him. Merlin attempted to return her smile, glad to still have her friendship, but he found it was hard to smile when it felt like his insides were about to burst from the stress.

"I thought it was you." Percival added quietly. "It made so much sense once I realized that it was hard to believe it could be anyone but you."

"I'm honestly not surprised. I had a feeling for a while that you might have magic." Elyan said, surprising Merlin. "I've met a lot of different people during my travels that changed my opinions on a lot of things. Magic is one of those things." He added with a shrug, seeing Merlin's confused look.

"Wait, you already knew, didn't you?" Gwaine suddenly exclaimed, turning to look suspiciously at Lancelot who hadn't spoken up yet.

"Yes, I found out when I first visited Camelot." Lancelot admitted.

"How?" Gwen asked.

"Merlin enchanted my spear so that I could kill the Griffin."

"Unfair." Gwaine pouted, crossing his arms over his chest like a petulant child. "I should have found out first."

"If anything, I think Arthur should have found out first." Leon spoke up for the first time. "After all, Merlin is his brother." Merlin could see that he looked slightly uncomfortable with the situation, but he didn't seem angry or scared, so he supposed that was a good sign.

"That does make a lot of sense though." Elyan spoke up. "The two of you have always argued enough to be siblings." Everyone laughed at that, even Leon, and Merlin managed a nervous chuckle of his own.

"Can we see your magic?" Gwen asked. "I mean, not that you have to show us. I'm sure it's private, and maybe you don't want to show us. But it would be nice to see it, if you were alright with it of course, and-"

"I'd be happy to show you something." Merlin interrupted her ramblings with a small smile. "What would you like to see?"

"Oh, I wouldn't know enough about magic to say." Gwen replied.

"Just do whatever you feel comfortable with, Merlin." Arthur said, placing an encouraging hand on his shoulder. Merlin nodded and thought for a moment before coming up with an idea for a spell.

He cupped his hands together and whispered a few short words before opening his hands to reveal a small, white flower, sitting in the palm of his hand.

"For you." He said to Gwen, handing the blossom to her. She gasped in delight.

"Oh, Merlin, it's beautiful!" Gwen said.

"It really is amazing that you can create something like that out of thin air." Leon whispered.

"Of course you'd pick a flower." Arthur added in a sarcastic tone.

"Prat." Merlin mumbled, but he smiled.

"All this time, you've been in Camelot, protecting Arthur." Percival said.

"Yes." Merlin replied, meeting his eyes. "I've been protecting all of you when I can."

"With magic?" Leon asked.

"Yes. It's my destiny to use my magic to protect Arthur. I've done it many times, and I'll do it again."

"How exactly have you protected him with your magic?" Gwaine asked.

"Oh, lots of ways." Merlin said, smiling.

Over the next few hours, Merlin proceeded to tell his closest friends some of the ways he'd them all with his magic over the years, including his stunt in the throne room that morning. He told them about how he'd tried to save Gwen and Elyan's father, something they were both grateful for, and about how he'd helped Arthur unconsciously while he was seeking the Mortaeus flower. He brought up how he'd called the snakes out of Valient's shield, and how he'd stopped Nimueh once and for all. He was overjoyed to see no hatred or disgust on their faces. Instead, he saw intrigue and gratitude. It was more than he could ever have asked for.

They talked late into the night until the moon had risen high. They only stopped when Gwen began to yawn, and they all confessed that they were tired as well.

After wrapping up their conversation, Gwaine and Lancelot had both given him friendly hugs as they left the room, and Gwen had given him a kiss on the cheek. He was over the moon with gratefulness that they all had accepted him. Even Leon, who confessed magic still made him nervous, said he was still his friend.

Merlin was happy and smiling as last of their group left, leaving Merlin sitting alone with Arthur. Then he realized what he'd have to tell him, and his smile fell.

He looked over to Arthur, who was staring at him with a blank expression on his face.

"Well, Merlin, what did you have to tell me about Morgana?" Arthur asked.

"Do you remember when the Knights of Medhir attacked Camelot, and everyone was falling asleep except Morgana?" Merlin said, cutting right to the chase.

Arthur nodded.

"Right, well, I know I told you that she took a potion Gaius had given her. But I lied. There was no potion."

"Then why wasn't Morgana falling asleep like the rest of us?"

"I didn't know at first, although I had a few ideas. So I had to seek help from a friend who would know what was happening and-"

"What friend, Merlin?" Arthur pressed.

"It's not important Arthur."

"No, I rather think it is." Arthur insisted. "Please, no more secrets. I've had enough of secrets to last me a lifetime."

"You're not going to be happy with me enough as is. Can't we leave this secret until later?" Merlin pleaded, but Arthur kept a stern look on his face.

"Fine, why not just tell you everything now! Better to hate me now then later, right?" Merlin shouted, before slumping back into the bed. "I went to see the great dragon. His name is Kilgarrah, and he often gave me advice on magical things."

"You went to see the dragon?" Arthur exclaimed. "Why on earth would he give you information?" Merlin flinched, and Arthur noticed.

"Merlin, what did you have to exchange for his help?" Arthur asked.

"I had to promise to release him." Arthur let out a growl, and Merlin flinched again. "I had no other choice, and I didn't know what he would do! I had to keep you safe, and we were all falling asleep. There was no other option!"

"Just continue the story, Merlin." Arthur said angrily.

"Right. Okay. Well, after I promised to release him, he told me that the reason Morgana wasn't falling asleep was because she was the epicenter of the spell, the source of the magic that was making everyone fall asleep."

"Morgana was casting the spell? Merlin, that's ridiculous. Morgana doesn't have magic, and even if she did, she was just as terrified at what was going on as the rest of us."

"No, she wasn't casting it. Morgause was the one casting it. I'm fairly certain she had no idea that Morgause had made her the center of the magic. Which made it worse."

"Merlin, what did you do?" Arthur asked, his voice low and dangerous.

"I-" Merlin sobbed. "It was the only way, I had to get rid of the source of the magic, or make Morgause take back the spell. And she wasn't going to do that, so I, I-" Another sob. Arthur was suspiciously silent. "I poisoned her. I didn't want to Arthur, you have to believe me, she was my friend! But there was no other way and you had already fallen asleep. I held her, as she was choking from the poison, and I told her I was sorry. Then Morgause arrived, and I promised to tell her which poison it was if she'd drop the spell. She did, and then after I told her she disappeared with Morgana. I haven't seen Morgana since." Tears were running freely down Merlin's face now, and he felt awful. "It was her life or the whole of Camelot. I don't regret saving your life, and the lives of so many others, but I wish it could have been any other way." He fell silent for a moment, before whispering, "Sometimes, I'm not sure how to live with myself and the choices I've made."

"What about the dragon?" Arthur asked, his voice surprisingly neutral.

"I swore to release him on my mother- Hunith's, life. I had to do it. I had no idea what he would do." Merlin's hands were shaking now, his greatest sins were out in the open for Arthur to see and he was terrified at what his reaction would be. "When we went out to find Balinor, Gaius told me he was my father. I'm not sure why he thought that was a good idea, but he did. So I thought he was my father, and-"

"And when he died I told you not to cry over him." Arthur finished. Merlin saw him out of the corner of his eye stand to his feet and begin to pace.

"Yeah, well, you didn't know. And apparently, he's my Uncle, not my father. But at any rate, when he died, his powers passed to me, as his closest relative with magic."

"So you're a dragonlord now as well?" Arthur asked. He was facing away from Merlin now and looking out of the window.

"Yes."

"Did you slay the dragon then while I was out?"

"N-not exactly," Merlin admitted. "I kind of told him to leave and never attack Camelot again."

Arthur growled.

"He's the last of his kind, Arthur, and Uther imprisoned him for so long. I'm not excusing his actions, but I can understand them somewhat. Plus, he's helped me so many times that it kind of makes up for it, and-"

"Wait, are you saying you've talked to him since?" Arthur sounded angry.

"Well, I mean, I have a few times. He's sorry now, and he wants to help Camelot. He's rather fond of you actually. Talks in riddles a lot about how great a king you'll be."

Everything was silent then, and Merlin felt his hands begin to shake.

"Arthur, I don't expect you to forgive me for everything I've done. I've done a lot of things wrong, I know that. But I thought you needed to know because I'm worried what will happen when we find Morgause. I'm afraid that what I've done to Morgana will have turned her against Camelot forever." He sighed. "I shouldn't say this, it's not my secret to tell, but Morgana. Well, she had magic. She's a seer. All of those dreams she had? She was dreaming of the future. She figured it out herself, and she came to me for advice. I should have helped her, but I was too scared, and instead, I ruined everything. She was starting to hate Uther right before she was taken. Who knows what she thinks of Camelot now."

The silence returned, and Merlin felt it weighing him down, but he didn't dare look up at Arthur. He was too terrified of his reaction for that.

"Merlin, I won't deny that I'm angry with your choices." Arthur eventually spoke up, his voice sounding tired and worn out to Merlin's ears. "Especially the fact that you are still in contact with that godforsaken beast! But if I was in your place, and I could find no other solution, well, it's likely I would have been forced to do the same."

Merlin didn't look up from his shaking hands. He heard Arthur move to stand in front of him, and he felt Arthur slip one hand under his chin, raising his head up to meet his eyes. He placed his other hand on Merlin's shoulder firmly.

When Merlin looked at his face, he could see the sadness and worry in his eyes.

"I'm sorry. Not for protecting you and keeping you safe, but I'm sorry that I couldn't do it in a better way." Merlin told him, and he felt his traitorous eyes begin to water. He was tired of showing weakness in front of Arthur.

"Merlin, I'm angry, but I don't hate you." Arthur said, surprising Merlin by pulling him into a hug of all things. "These secrets have to stop, though. I want to know everything, no matter how much it hurts me to hear it. You're my brother, and I want to be able to share life with you. If that means sharing the burden sometimes, then so be it." He pulled back and looked at Merlin. "And that means that from now on, you and I will address problems that come our way together, instead of you shouldering the weight of decisions all on your own. Understood?"

Merlin nodded, wiping his eyes tiredly. "It's going to take a long time to tell you everything."

"Then you'll just have to tell me a little bit every day." Arthur replied.

"Do you still plan on searching for Morgause and Morgana tomorrow?" Merlin asked, changing the subject.

"Yes. If Morgana is still on our side, then the sooner we can find her, the better."

"And if she's against us?" Merlin asked.

"Then we'll deal with that when we come to it." Arthur sighed. "For now, it's late, and you need to rest to recover your strength. We'll talk more in the morning, alright?" Arthur stood to his feet and began to walk out.

Merlin didn't allow his eyes to watch Arthur leave. Instead, he fixed his eyes on the bedspread until Arthur had shut the door. Only then did Merlin allow himself to curl up in the bed, and let the heaviness of his heart and the weariness in his body pull him into sleep.


	5. Excalibur and a Rescue

Author's Note: So I exceeded 7,000 words again. Whoops! But seriously, you guys are spoiling me with all the good reviews. I really appreciate it! There's a little bit more action in this chapter. I hope you enjoy!

Also, I'm totally screwing with canon here in a lot of ways, but specifically I'm going to be bypassing the sword in the stone in this story. I hope nobody minds. It just doesn't fit well into my narrative, and I don't feel like it's necessary, so I'm not going to try and fit it in where it isn't needed.

...

The next morning as Arthur set out with all of his knights, except Leon, there was a slight drizzle of rain, and Arthur couldn't help but feel that the weather perfectly reflected his mood. Merlin hadn't looked him in the eye since their conversation last night, even though Arthur had made it clear to him he wasn't really angry at Merlin, more so the actions Merlin was forced to take. However, he was too worn out from the fact that his life had been based on so many lies, and he couldn't bring himself to gather the strength to comfort Merlin just yet. The part of him that wasn't worn out distantly felt bad about it, especially when he looked over to see Merlin slumped over on his horse and looking thoroughly miserable, but he forced himself to focus on the task at hand.

They'd ridden their horses quite far from the city with no clear direction in mind, and although the knights had implored him over and over to tell them of his plans, he'd refused. But now that they were far enough away from the city to be seen by anyone, Arthur was finally ready to enact his plan.

"Merlin." Arthur exclaimed, not looking away from the trail they were riding on. He got no response verbally, but he knew Merlin was listening, so he continued on. "Do you know any sort of tracking spell that would make it easier to find Morgause?"

Merlin was quiet for a moment. "I think I might know something, but I can't guarantee it will work."

"Good. Do it. Anything is better than riding about aimlessly in this accursed rain." He wiped his wet hair off of his forehead with annoyance.

He heard Merlin mutter some words behind him, and he heard a gasp come from Elyan.

"It worked, sire." Merlin said quietly. "I can sense where she is. She isn't very far, actually."

"Lead your horse to the front then, Merlin, and you can take us to her." Arthur instructed, and suddenly Merlin came into view next to him.

He let out a gasp of his own as he saw Merlin. He was surrounded by a shimmering aura, and his eyes were molten gold with the magic he was working.

"Merlin, how much power does this spell take?" Arthur asked, worried that Merlin would collapse from the magic yet again.

"Not too much. This one's fairly easy for me."

"Tracking someone is easy?" Arthur asked.

"For me it is, I guess." He shrugged.

"Just how powerful are you Merlin?"

"I don't know yet. But Gaius said he'd never met anyone as powerful as me." Merlin admitted, causing Arthur to feel a slight sense of awe that someone as unassuming as Merlin could apparently hold so much power.

"Well, lead on then." Arthur said, readying his horse.

"Arthur, before we confront Morgause, there's something we need to pick up." Merlin said, the gold aura fading from his body and his eyes. Arthur raised an eyebrow in confusion at what they would possibly need.

"Morgause is a high priestess of the Old Religion. There are not many ways that she can be killed. So we're going to need a special sort of weapon to do the job."

"What sort of weapon?" Arthur could hear Gwaine exclaim from behind them.

"A sword forged in a dragon's breath." Merlin answered without missing a beat.

"I'm not going to visit the dragon, Merlin, no matter how desperate the situation is." Arthur protested.

"We don't have to visit him." Merlin answered with a flinch. "The sword is already made. I made it for you when you were going to fight the wraith, and I promised the dragon that only you would use it. But then Uther ended up with it, and so I had to hide it for safety."

"Where is it now, then?" Lancelot asked, echoing Arthur's thoughts.

"At the bottom of a lake." Merlin admitted reluctantly.

"A lake? Merlin, what on earth possessed you to throw it into a lake?" Arthur asked.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that we need it now, so we have to go and get it."

"Alright." Arthur said, although he made it clear in his tone that he and Merlin were not done talking about this. "Lead us there then, and then to Morgause."

Merlin nodded, and without another word, he led his horse into a canter, the rest of the group following close behind.

...

It had stopped raining by the time they reached the lake, although the sky promised more rain later. It was enough to dry them all off slightly and lighten their spirits somewhat.

The lake was the same as any other lake Arthur had ever seen. He'd half expected it to be some sort of magical lake, but there were no magical creatures or strange lights, or really anything out of the ordinary. Just a decently sized lake in the middle of the forest.

"Well, how are we going to fetch this sword then?" Arthur asked, genuinely curious, as they all dismounted from their horses and moved to stand on the shore.

Merlin fidgeted slightly.

"You do have a plan, don't you Merlin?" Arthur asked.

"Not really. But I'll figure it out. I always do." Merlin replied, turning to face the lake.

As Arthur and the rest of the knights watched, Merlin closed his eyes and seemed to focus on his magic. When Merlin opened his eyes once again they were burning gold. Arthur half expected him to raise his hands and shout something magical, but instead, he surprised them all by calling out only one word in a soft whisper.

"Freya." He said, and a sad look crossed his face.

They all looked towards the water, unsure of what they would see.

At first, nothing happened. The water remained calm and undisturbed. But then a ripple began near the shore of the lake, seemingly caused by nothing at all. Then, without warning, an arm shot up out of the water with a sword grasped tightly in it's raised hand.

"What on earth-?" Elyan exclaimed.

Suddenly, they could see that the arm was attached to the body of a woman, who rose out of the water slowly. Once her entire body was out of the water she moved slowly towards the shore and towards Merlin.

As she reached him, the sky began to rain heavily. She placed the sword into Merlin's hands, and he took it from her with reverence. She then placed a soft kiss on the top of his head and stepped back.

As Arthur watched, she seemed to almost dissolve into the rain around her, until a few seconds later she was gone.

"What just happened?" Gwaine yelled over the sound of the pouring rain, saying what they were all thinking.

"I don't want to talk about it just yet. Please." Merlin replied, looking so incredibly sad. "I'll tell you later, I promise. Just not now."

He moved, placing the sword in Arthur's hands. Arthur grasped it, testing its feel.

"Its name is Excaliber." Merlin said reverently. "It was made for you and is only yours to weld. Use it's power wisely."

Arthur nodded, swinging the sword a few times. "It's a fine blade." He informed Merlin.

Merlin's face lightened somewhat, and he gave him a soft smile.

"We better get out of this rain before our armor rusts." Percival interrupted jokingly.

"Well, Merlin?" Arthur said.

"Come on. I'll lead the way." Merlin replied. "Let's go and defeat Morgause for good."

...

The old fortress that Merlin led them to was alarmingly close to Camelot, and Arthur was shocked that the knights hadn't come across it at some point in a patrol.

"It was probably cloaked by magic, and now that Morgause is injured the wards have fallen." Was Merlin's suggestion when he mentioned it.

Regardless of why it went unnoticed before, they had found it now. Arthur surveyed the fortress, looking for the best course of action to get inside.

The place looked rather rundown from the outside, it's old walls close to crumbling and falling away at any moment, making it most likely unsafe to go in any way except the door.

"Merlin, can you use your magic to see how many men Morgause might have helping her?" Arthur asked.

"I'll try." Merlin said, and he closed his eyes and focused. As Arthur watched him, his face scrunched up in confusion.

"I think I'm doing something wrong. I'm sorry Arthur." He replied, opening his eyes. "I can't sense anyone."

"That's alright." Arthur replied. "We'll just have to make do without it then."

"How do you plan on getting inside, sire?" Lancelot asked.

"It's too run down to risk entering through anything but the door. We can only hope that Morgause's forces are lax now that she's injured, and that we can sneak inside unnoticed." Arthur looked up towards the sky that was still pouring down rain. "This rain is a nuisance, but it should aid in keeping us hidden somewhat. Let's hurry and enter before it stops." Arthur added, signaling for them to move.

Silently, they made their way to the front of the fortress. There seemed to be only one entrance, so Arthur moved towards it, hoping that it wasn't a trap. Slowly, he swung the door open. It made an awful creaking noise, but, to his surprise, no one came rushing to figure out what had made the sound. Instead, there was only dead silence as they all filtered inside. It remained silent even as Merlin accidentally knocked against the door in his clumsiness, causing it to slam shut behind them.

Arthur shot Merlin a dirty look, but he didn't say anything, instead motioning for them to begin making their way inside.

They walked slowly down the hallway, peaking cautiously into open rooms as they went. Everything was completely in ruins and looked almost as if it had been left there for centuries. Some rooms had rotting doors or no doors at all. Most were filled with moth-eaten and rotting furniture, and some even had walls that had crumbled away, leaving them open to the elements. The only sign that anyone had been there recently was the lack of dust and dirt in the rooms.

Even though they passed a multitude of rooms, they came across no guards, no sorcerers waiting behind the corner. There weren't even any traps, magical or otherwise. And throughout it all, it remained eerily quiet.

"Are you sure you tracked Morgause correctly?" Arthur whispered as they walked.

"Yes, I'm sure. I could feel her magic." Merlin replied, looking as confused as Arthur felt. "Let me try it again and see if I can find her in here."

Merlin began to glow once again, and he straightened his posture with confidence.

"I can sense her. She's here." He replied.

"Lead us to her then." Arthur said, gesturing for Merlin to take the lead.

Merlin quickly led them to a door that seemed slightly larger than the rest, and he stopped in front of it, letting the magic go once again.

"She's in there," Merlin whispered, pointing at the door. "And I think she's alone."

Arthur nodded. "Swords at the ready." He instructed his men. "Who knows what tricks she has up her sleeve."

He braced himself, before swinging the door open as fast as possible.

On the other side of the door, they found themselves in what appeared to be a bedroom with furniture as old and decrepit as the rest of the place. Morgause was sitting in a chair, slumped down, obviously still in pain from Merlin's attack. She sat in front of a roaring fire, staring into the flames.

As the door swung open, her head swung towards them, and her breath grew labored.

"Emrys and the Prince." She croaked out, her voice sounding hoarse. "I knew you would come." She let out a maniacal laugh and stood shakily to her feet.

Arthur could tell from her eyes that she wasn't all there. Whether that was due to the pain she was in, a fever from her wounds, or something else entirely, he did not know. But what he did know was that she wasn't going to truly be a threat to them in this state. He almost felt bad as he realized how easy it was going to be to bring her down. It felt almost unfair in a way.

"Morgause," Arthur spoke. "I'm sure you're well aware of what we want."

"Yes." She smirked, before letting out a horrible cough. She seemed unconcerned about her condition, however, and she reached to her side and pulled out her sword. She swung it weakly in their direction. "But I won't fight you, Arthur Pendragon. I want to fight Emrys."

Arthur started to protest that there was no such person as 'Emrys' here when, suddenly, Merlin stepped forward.

"Then fight me, Morgause." Merlin replied.

"What, so Merlin isn't your actual name now?" Arthur hissed in a whisper, feeling confused.

"No, it is. Emrys is what the druids call me. Don't ask, because I don't really know why." Merlin replied, before turning to face Morgause once again.

She stumbled towards them, waving her sword wildly in Merlin's direction. Merlin didn't budge, like the clumsy idiot he was, and Arthur was forced to move forward and block her crazy swings with his own sword. He was surprised to feel Excaliber almost move for him. It was as if the sword was perfectly in synch with his very soul.

"You can't stop me, princeling!" She panted, already winded even though they hadn't even begun to fight. "I'll kill you both! I'll kill the traitor for what he did to her, and I'll kill you for turning her from me!" She lunged again, but her swing was so poor that she missed entirely.

Merlin and Arthur shared a brief glance of confusion at her actions before Arthur was forced to return his attention to her as she attempted to swing again. He blocked her easily with his sword.

"I don't need to use this." She spat, throwing the sword clumsily away. "I am a Priestess. I am all powerful!" She shot out her hands and started mumbling words. Arthur could tell she was trying to cast a spell of some sort on him, but her eyes remained brown, not gold, and no power came forth. She kept mumbling anyways, seemingly unaware that it wasn't working.

"Sire, end it now!" Elyan cried, but Arthur hesitated. It felt wrong to slay a woman who was obviously so far gone mentally and physically.

"Morgause, leave it be. You're too weak to win this fight. Simply tell us where Morgana is, and we'll leave you be."

"Arthur!" Merlin protested. "She'll never stop trying to kill you as long as she lives. You can't just let her go!" Arthur ignored him, focusing on Morgause, waiting for her to answer.

She kept mumbling, almost bent over now in either pain or exhaustion, still looking at her hands and swaying slightly.

Arthur tried again. "Morgause!" He called.

This time she looked up slightly and stopped mumbling. Her eyes seemed to clear for a short second, but then they lost focus again, and she swayed before falling to her knees.

"She will love me. I'll make her." She gasped out, now completely ignoring all of them and beginning to mumble indecipherable words to herself incessantly.

"I don't think it would be a leniency to let her live in this state, Princess." Gwaine spoke up softly. "She's obviously mad. It might be better to put her out of her misery. It's very unlikely she'll survive the wound in this state anyway."

Arthur gripped his sword, his mind swirling with indecision.

"Arthur, if you don't want to kill her, then leave. I'll do it." Merlin replied. His voice was stony and without emotion. It made Arthur almost physically sick to hear it.

"I'm not going to make you do my dirty work, Merlin." Arthur replied through gritted teeth. "And I won't make you into my weapon either."

He raised his sword up and decided to give Morgause one more chance.

"Morgause, surrender." Morgause continued to murmur to herself and made no sign of noticing them.

"So be it." He said, feeling sorry for the woman.

He swung his sword down swiftly and with force, ending her life in one blow, and as painlessly as he possibly could.

All was silent for a moment, no one willing to speak as they looked at the body of the once mighty sorceress now laid low.

"Arthur-" Merlin began.

"It's fine, Merlin." Arthur interrupted, stopping him from saying whatever self-sacrificing speech he had planned. "She kidnapped Morgana, attempted to slaughter innocent citizens, and tried to kill me, our father, and you. She deserved this, no matter how much I wish it had been a legitimate fight. It had to be done." He sighed heavily, before turning away from the body to address the group.

"We'll leave the body for now, and come back to dispose of it later." He instructed. "For now, we should split up into groups and look for Morgana. Merlin, Lancelot, I want you with me. We'll head towards the back of the fortress to search. The rest of you," he gestured to Gwaine, Elyan, and Percival, "head back the way we came. See if you can find any sign of anyone. Leave nothing unsearched. She could be hidden anywhere." The group left, and Arthur led Merlin and Lancelot out of the room, and they began to walk to the back of the building.

"I could try and sense her with my magic." Merlin offered, causing Arthur to signal them to stop.

"Try it, but if it doesn't work right away we'll go back to searching the regular way."

Merlin nodded, and closed his eyes and focused.

"I can sense something, underneath us, but I don't know if it's her. It's like there's something blocking my magic from reading things properly."

"Alright, then we find a way to get down there." Lancelot said.

Arthur nodded and motioned for them to begin walking again.

It only took them a few minutes of searching to find a winding staircase that went downward, underneath the castle. It was in desperate need of repair and looked horribly unsafe, but they all descended anyways. Other than one step that crumbled under Lancelot's feet, which caused a minor scare, there were no issues, and soon they were standing in a dark corridor that had obviously once served as the fortresses dungeons.

"Merlin, can you create a light for us?" Arthur asked.

Merlin nodded. " _Lēoht._ " He whispered, causing a flame to appear in his palm. The light cast from the flame illuminated the room, showing them a hallway filled with cells.

Arthur led them forward, walking slowly and looking from side to side in an attempt to see if he could spot Morgana. He was beginning to grow frustrated, when finally they reached the end of the hall and found, in the very last cell, Morgana. Alive.

She was sitting on the ground with her back towards them. Her hair looked dirty and tangled, her skin deathly pale, her dress was dirty and torn in some places, and she'd lost some weight. But despite it all, she was still sitting up regally, proud as always.

"I won't help you, so you can stop coming down here." She huffed, without turning to look at them.

"Morgana?" Arthur finally managed to choke out, when he'd recovered from the shock of seeing her again.

She rose to her feet in a flash and whipped around to face them.

"Arthur?" She exclaimed, her voice trembling and her eyes growing wet. "Is it really you?"

"Morgana." He said once more, rushing forward to grab the bars of the cell. Morgana rushed towards him, her hands resting on his own where they gripped the bars.

Morgana looked worried and frantic. "Arthur, what are you doing here? Morgause, she'll-"

"Morgause is dead, my lady." Lancelot interrupted.

"Dead?" Morgana breathed out, falling to her knees with a hand to her heart. "How?"

Arthur turned to instruct Merlin. "Unlock the door." He told him, before turning back towards Morgana.

"I killed her." He said. "She was wounded, so it wasn't hard to do so. She seemed to be mad."

"Good." Morgana surprised him with the fierceness in her voice. "I hope there wasn't an ounce of sanity left in her."

Just then, Merlin managed whatever spell he had been silently working on, and the door to the cell swung open. Arthur swiftly entered and moved to kneel next to Morgana, grabbing her hands in his own before pulling her into a quick embrace.

"Are you in good enough health to walk, or do we need to carry you?" He asked.

"I'm hungry, tired, and I very much want to be out of this cell, but I'm not a damsel in distress, Arthur." Morgana answered, causing Arthur to smile at the familiar tone of her voice. He helped her raise herself to her feet and started to walk her out of the cell when she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"You." She exclaimed, her voice low, and so very angry, as she looked at Merlin who was still holding the magical light in his hands. Arthur could see Merlin visibly gulp and grow pale. He'd forgotten for a moment in his joy at seeing Morgana alive that she may not be on their side after all. And he'd forgotten that she didn't know about Merlin.

Morgana turned her angry gaze towards Arthur. "You'd forgive him for having magic." She asked, her voice icy and somewhat reserved.

"Yes." Arthur answered truthfully. "That he has magic is of no consequence to me."

"Is he the only one you would pardon of such an offense?" Morgana asked, her voice still hard.

"No. I have long thought my father's view of magic to be incorrect. Merlin is just more proof of that. Not all magic is evil, Morgana."

Morgana's eyes narrowed at Arthur's answer, and she glared at Merlin with a fierceness only she could possess. "He tried to poison me."

"I know, Morgana." Arthur answered, and he felt her stiffen in shock and anger. "He told me so. He also told me why he did it, and how sorry he was. It doesn't make it right, but it makes it understandable." Morgana turned to him, anger, sadness, and confusion playing across her face.

"As much as I want to get this conversation over with as soon as possible, we need to get you out of here before someone shows up."

"No one will come, Arthur." Morgana spoke up. "All of the men Morgause paid to work for her left months ago when she began to go mad. It's just been her and her magic holding me here."

"Regardless, this place is falling apart. It's unsafe to remain here. Let's at least get outside before we continue the rest of this conversation." She nodded her consent, although she still looked upset.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Arthur turned towards Lancelot. "Lancelot, take Merlin and find the rest of the group. Tell them to meet us outside." Lancelot nodded, and although Merlin looked weary at leaving him alone with Morgana, they both left.

"Lancelot?" Morgana questioned him after they'd left their line of sight. "As in Lancelot, the man who killed the griffin?"

"Yes." Arthur replied. "I knighted him, and a handful of other peasants. Does it bother you?" He asked her.

"No. I think it's noble of you. It's the right thing to do. But Uther would never allow-"

"I might have been able to convince him." Arthur replied sheepishly. "He's been, easier to deal with, since you disappeared." He confessed. Morgana was quiet after that, focusing on walking without swaying. Arthur held fast to her, supporting her as they went.

By the time they made it out of the castle the rest of the knights and Merlin were waiting for them with the horses. The rain had stopped at some point while they were inside, thankfully.

"We need to find somewhere to sit and talk." Arthur told them. "The Lady Morgana has some things she needs to share with me, and I with her."

...

Merlin couldn't deny that his heart was beating so rapidly he was afraid it would send him into a heart attack at any moment. He kept glancing towards the Lady Morgana, who was now sitting on a log next to Arthur, worried about what she would do. She kept glancing at him as well, her eyes cold and angry.

"Morgana, I need to know first what Morgause wanted from you, and why she kept you for so long." Arthur spoke up, his attention focused on Morgana.

"It's rather simple, really." Morgana said. "She wanted me to turn against Camelot, and I refused. So she kept me in the dungeons, trying to force me to help her."

"But why did she want you specifically?" Arthur pressed. "What made you the target of her attention?"

Morgana looked down at the ground, seemingly reluctant to speak. She pulled on the sleeves of her dress and her arms wrapped around herself as she tried to gain some warmth, and she shivered.

Suddenly, Arthur seemed to think of something. He looked at the knights who were attempting to get some wood they'd found to light, with little success, then up at Merlin with a determined look on his face.

"Merlin, start a fire, would you?"

"But the knights are already doing all they can to start the fire. The wood is just too wet to-"

"Merlin, start a fire." Oh, Merlin thought, finally understanding what Arthur meant. He swallowed nervously and reached out his hand towards the wet pile of sticks.

" _Forbearnan_." He incanted, causing the sticks to burst into a roaring fire instantly.

"That would have been so useful to know when we were on patrol last month." Gwaine said with a whine, causing Percival to smack him lightly on the back of his head to shut him up.

He looked up to see Morgana looking towards Arthur in shock.

"Everyone here is aware of his powers, Morgana." Arthur told her. "You have nothing to fear." He added gently.

Morgana burst into tears, her hands raising to cover her face. Arthur, unaware of how to comfort anyone being the emotionally stunted prat he was, awkwardly attempted to comfort her by patting her lightly on her back. She sobbed a few times, before controlling herself and sitting up once more.

"Morgause was focused on me for two reasons." She spoke softly. "The first was because she is my half-sister. We share a mother. The second is because I have magic." She placed the stony look on her face once more, and she looked defiantly at Arthur, almost as if she expected him to take back his earlier words of comfort now that he knew of her powers.

"And you decided not to help her?" Arthur asked, avoiding her admittance of magic entirely.

"Yes." Morgana responded. "She wanted you and Uther dead so that I could become Queen, and I told her that nothing could convince me to assist her as long as she sought to harm you."

"But my father?" Arthur added, seemingly unwilling to let any more secrets lie. "I would assume that means you would have no qualms about him being killed?"

Morgana looked towards him, the shock returning to her face.

"I won't deny that I have my issues with him." She said reluctantly. "But I don't think I want him dead." She sighed and looked at her lap. "His death would hurt you, Arthur. That's the only reason I care about it."

Arthur nodded. "And after you refused her, what then?"

"She played nice at first. She kept me in one of the better rooms, gave me good food, made sure I had everything I could want, but she didn't let me leave. I think she honestly expected me to eventually agree. She seemed to rely on the fact we were sisters, and never did a day go by where she didn't remind me of that. But when I still refused her, she grew angry." She looked off into the distance.

"I was desperate to get out, but I could see no way. Her magic was too strong, and she was too vigilant in making sure I could not leave. So I hatched a plan." A look of icy fury came upon her face, and she looked Arthur straight in the eye.

"I could tell it was affecting her mental state to see me turned against her, so I decided if I couldn't get out any other way, then I'd drive her mad. It was my last resort. But it worked, didn't it?"

"It did. She was mumbling incoherently when I fought her." Arthur replied, and Morgana smiled.

"Good. I spent so much time assuring her that I hated her and that I would never agree to help her. I had no idea if it was working. The only thing I could tell it was doing was making her angrier. She eventually threw me into the dungeons a few weeks ago. She came down to visit me a few times, but for the most part, she left me in darkness. I hadn't seen her in three days when you found me."

Morgana's face crumpled slightly, her mask breaking. "I can't deny I'm glad she's dead. I trusted her. She told me she was family, and that she accepted me, and I was so desperate to have a family again that I believed her every word and followed her lead. But then she turned out to be a monster. The only thing she was ever concerned about was herself and her goals. She didn't care who she had to kill to get her way." Morgana shook her head. "I honestly thought I'd die there, that eventually she'd snap and kill me in a fit of anger." She added quietly.

Arthur grabbed her hands and held them tight. "You're safe now." He said soothingly. Morgana smiled sadly at him.

"Am I?" She said bitterly. "I'm a seer Arthur, I have magic."

"I know." Arthur replied. "And I don't care about the magic."

"You say that now, but..." Her voice trailed off slightly before she turned herself away from Arthur.

"There's something else you need to know." Morgana added, her face a mask of no emotion. "I learned something from Morgause about my parenthood. I've thought about it, and I see no reason why she would have lied about this. And besides that, it makes sense."

"What is it?" Arthur asked.

"Morgause told me that Gorlois was not my father. He didn't know that I wasn't his child, however." She let out an angry breath. "My real father is someone who was close to my father, and someone that we both know very well." Merlin felt his heart sink. She couldn't be insinuating what he thought she was. "Uther is my father, Arthur, making you and I related by blood."

Merlin watched as Arthur's jaw dropped open for a moment in shock, before he began, much to Merlin's concern, to laugh.

Morgana looked at him with concern, worried by his uncharacteristic response. "Arthur, this isn't funny. This is serious. If Uther were to find out that his daughter had magic-" Arthur laughed harder, cutting Morgana off, and suddenly Merlin got the joke. It was a little funny, and he felt himself let out a nervous giggle, before stifling it under Morgana's icy gaze.

"I'm sorry, Morgana, truly." Arthur said once he'd caught his breath. "It's just, you have no idea what's happened in the past couple of days."

"What could possibly have happened that would make the possibility of me dying funny?" She asked angrily.

"Would you believe me if I told you I apparently have an absurdly powerful warlock for a brother that was stolen from Camelot at birth?"

"What? Arthur now is not the time for jokes." Morgana scoffed.

"It's not a joke, my lady." Lancelot spoke up.

"Yep," Gwaine added. "And Princess here just found out who that absurdly powerful brother is!"

"More importantly," Arthur interrupted. "Our father is planning on lessening restrictions against magic users considerably in order to make his magical son feel more welcome in Camelot."

"Uther would never-" Morgana began, but Arthur interrupted her.

"Your disappearance changed him, Morgana. I had no idea why at first, but knowing what I do now, I finally understand. He's already lost one child, he doesn't want to lose another."

"And he'd truly put aside his fear of magic? Simply for a son he doesn't know?" Morgana sounded so hopeful, it almost hurt Merlin to hear it.

"He's not truly put it aside." Arthur answered her truthfully. "As far as I can tell, he still hates magic now as much as he did before. However, he seems to be blinded to it where his children are concerned."

"And who is this mysteriously powerful magical son of his?" Morgana asks. "Does anyone know?"

"Yes, we all know who it is. Although father was knocked unconscious by Morgause before we could deliver the news to him."

"And who is it?"

Arthur didn't answer verbally, instead turning his gaze towards Merlin. Merlin wished the ground would swallow him up right then and there, and he was mentally thinking of a spell he could use to do just that, but nothing was coming to mind.

"No." Morgana's voice rose. "No, no, no." She stood to her feet and turned to face Arthur. "I can't possibly be related to him, he betrayed me! He poisoned me!"

"Morgana, sit." Arthur said in a firm, commanding voice. Morgana reluctantly sat back down on the log, looking very, very angry.

"This should be a private conversation between myself, Merlin, and the Lady Morgana." Arthur addressed the knights. They all nodded reluctantly, although both Gwaine and Lancelot sent nervous looks to both Arthur and Merlin.

"Merlin is safe with me. I already know what happened between him and Morgana, so you can stop looking at me like you're afraid I'll turn on him, Gwaine." Arthur scowled.

"Just making sure my best mate is safe." Gwaine said with a smirk, and he ruffled Merlin's hair as he followed Lancelot and the others as they walked away from the campfire to stand far enough away that they could still see them, but couldn't hear them.

Morgana looked furious, refusing to even glance at either Arthur or Merlin. Arthur sighed.

"Morgana, I understand that you're hurt by Merlin's actions, but I doubt you've even taken the time to understand why he would even do such a thing."

Morgana scoffed. "Why would I take the time to try and understand why my supposed friend would attempt to murder me?"

"Did Morgause tell you why you were the only one who didn't fall asleep when the Knights of Medhir attacked Camelot?"

"It was my magic-"

"No, Morgana. Think about it. Merlin has magic, yet he was falling asleep as well."

Morgana looked confused.

Merlin decided to speak up, despite the fear in his stomach that told him to remain quiet. "The reason you weren't falling asleep is that Morgause made you the center of the magic that controlled the spell. Without your knowledge, I would assume."

"And the only way to stop the spell, apparently, was to have Morgause herself stop the enchantment, or to remove the source of the magic." Arthur added.

"What?" Morgana exclaimed. "So you're saying you decided to 'remove' the problem by poisoning me?" She turned murderous eyes towards Merlin. "I thought I was your friend, Merlin! I trusted you! And instead of helping me, or telling me what was going on so we could address the problem together, you poured poison down my throat and held me while I was dying!" Her voice rose to a shout. Merlin cowered slightly, hating the fact that everything she said was true. It was all his fault.

"I didn't want to do it." He whispered helplessly. "And I'm so, so sorry." He let out one helpless sob. "I wanted there to be another way, but Arthur was falling asleep, and the Knights of Medhir were approaching fast, and I panicked. I had to save Camelot, and I hoped desperately that Morgause would heal you, and I had to trust that we would find you again afterward."

He looked up at Morgana, who seemed no longer murderous, but rather sad and confused.

"I spent all this time, expecting to never see you again. I convinced myself that I had been wrong about you, that you were some horrible person. But you're not, are you." Morgana looked so sad, and Merlin desperately wanted to fix it, to make it better, but he didn't know how. "I don't know if that makes it better or worse." She confessed.

"Morgana, I won't excuse what Merlin did, but I can't blame him for it either." Arthur said, ever the diplomat, and he placed his hand on Morgana's shoulder gently, pulling her into a hug. She collapsed into his embrace. "I'm not asking you to forgive him, I couldn't ask that of you, but could you at least promise me that you'll try to put this behind us. What's done is done, and it can't be changed. But we can at least try to make the future a better place for all of us, those with magic and those without."

"I can't forgive you." She said, turning her head on Arthur's shoulder to face Merlin. Her eyes were cold, but she didn't look like she wanted to plunge a knife into his stomach, so he'd take that as a positive advancement. "But I want to go home, and I want to put this behind us." She pulled out of Arthur's embrace. "I'll promise not to bring it up, if you promise to never talk to me without my permission ever again. I don't know if I ever want to see your face again really, but seeing as we're apparently related, I don't think that's an option. So the least you can do for me is stay out of where you're not wanted."

Arthur looked as if he wanted to protest Morgana's demands, but Merlin couldn't find anything unfair about this. It's better than what he'd expected out of Morgana. He can live with her hatred, as long as he can know that she hasn't been turned against Arthur and Camelot.

"Of course, my lady." He replied with sincerity.

"Morgana, can't you at least try and understand where he was coming from?" Arthur asked. "It's not truly his fault. You're just as much at fault in this as he is, and Morgause is the one that is truly to blame. And he is your brother too, after all."

Morgana looked at him for a moment, a myriad of emotions crossing her face, before her face crumpled.

"I'll think about it." She eventually said. That's more than Merlin ever expected from her, and he felt a bit of hope that things might turn out alright after all welling up in his chest. "But family hasn't meant much to me recently, Arthur. I'm not sure the word even means anything to me anymore."

She turned once more to Arthur, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him close. Merlin watched as Arthur allowed himself to embrace her without hesitation before she pulled back and looked him in the eyes.

"Let's go home. Please." She implored him, suddenly looking very tired.

"Of course." Arthur assured her, before turning to shout for the knights. They quickly returned and began to ready the horses.

Merlin moved to ready his own horse, but before he could mount Arthur grabbed his shoulder.

"Merlin, I've already told you I forgive you, so could you please wipe that look off of your face?" He scolded.

"What look?" Merlin said, feigning innocence.

"The look that tells me your counting down the minutes until I explode on you." He scowled.

"Sorry, it's just, are you really alright? With everything?"

"I wouldn't say I'm alright, but I'm definitely not angry." Arthur replied, turning his gaze to look at Morgana who was being helped up onto Percival's horse by Lancelot. "I'm worried about what will happen next, to be sure. But I'm grateful that everything has gone relatively well so far. I don't think she'll forgive you anytime soon, but I think, given time, she'll come to see why it's not really your fault."

"Really?" Merlin questioned him.

"Yes. She's always been one to hold a grudge, but she's also always had a knack for being able to see both sides of a story. I think she's just spent so much time alone, thinking about her last moments in Camelot, that it's clouded her thinking." He paused for a moment and then patted Merlin on the back in a friendly gesture. "After all, you're such a clotpole, how could she not forgive you?" He said with a smirk.

"That's my word." Merlin mumbled with a smile.

"Yes, and it suits you perfectly." Merlin smiled and laughed slightly.

"You are alright though, aren't you Merlin?" Arthur added, looking at him seriously.

"Yeah. I'm alright." Merlin answered.

"Good." Arthur nodded. "Let's get home. I want to see if Father is awake yet."

"Right." Merlin's face fell. "We still have to tell Uther."

"It will be fine, Merlin. I promise. We'll make it work."

Merlin nodded, and he mounted his horse. It was time to head back to Camelot.


	6. The Lady's Return

Author's note: So uni classes are starting back up for me, which means slower updates, unfortunately. But don't fret! I'm invested in this story and I have the whole thing planned out already, so I'll definitely be finishing it. I'm expecting that this semester won't be too crazy for me, meaning I should be able to finish this story up in a timely fashion, even though updates will be a little slower and the chapters possibly a little shorter sometimes.

...

Arthur had been worried about how Camelot would react to seeing Morgana's return. Or rather, to be more accurate, he was worried that the people would rush out to show their support for their returning Lady, and overwhelm Morgana before she was ready to face them. But, as it turned out, he'd had no reason to worry. Instead, they were relatively unnoticed by anyone as they rode towards Camelot's gates. When they finally reached the gates, Arthur was quick to send one of the thoroughly shocked guards on duty ahead of them to make sure the streets were cleared, allowing Morgana some privacy as they rode towards the castle. However, that didn't stop the populace from peeking out of doors and windows at them as they passed. Arthur was happy to see that many had smiles on their faces, and seemed filled with joy at Morgana's return.

When they'd dismounted from their horses, Morgana had refused to let any of the knights or Arthur help her walk into the castle. She had allowed Arthur to hold out his arm and escort her, but only after some bargaining on Arthur's part. Arthur could tell that it wasn't because she was not tired, because it was obvious by the slow and methodical way she moved that she was indeed exhausted, but rather it was because she wanted to return home with dignity. Arthur couldn't begrudge her that, even if he did wish she'd let him simply carry her to their destination.

The moment they entered the inside of the castle, Leon was there, ready to great them.

"Lady Morgana!" He exclaimed with excitement, a smile bursting onto his shocked face. "It is good to see you again, my Lady!"

"It is good to be back, Sir Leon." Morgana replied, with a soft smile of her own.

"Leon, have a servant prepare Morgana's chambers as soon as possible." Arthur instructed." "She needs to rest after such an ordeal. However, first, we're going to need to visit Gaius's chambers." Morgana stiffened at the mention of Gaius's name.

"Of course, Sire." Leon replied, quickly hurrying away to carry out Arthur's orders.

"The rest of you, I need you to inform the rest of the court that the Lady Morgana has been returned to Camelot and that the sorceress Morgause is dead." The knights nodded before walking away, leaving Merlin, Morgana, and Arthur alone.

"Morgana, what is the issue between yourself and Gaius?" Arthur asked her, as they began to walk slowly towards the physician's chambers. "I wasn't aware the two of you had a falling out."

"He knew I was a seer, Arthur, but he lied to me. He told me I didn't have magic when he knew very well I did." She sighed. "I'm afraid there are a lot of people I'm angry with these days."

Arthur nodded. "I understand, but you still need to see a physician. I need to know that you're truly alright."

Before Morgana could answer, they were interrupted by the sound of frantic feet running down the hall.

"My Lady!" Guinevere's voice suddenly rang out, causing them all to turn around. There, they could see Guinevere running full speed down the corridor towards them, tears welling in her eyes and her hair flying wildly around her.

"Gwen!" Morgana exclaimed with delight as Guinevere propelled herself into Morgana's arms, holding her tightly as if she was afraid she would vanish again at any moment.

"Oh, Morgana, I was so worried! I missed you so much." Guinevere was crying now, and Morgana's eyes were wet with her own tears.

"I missed you too, Gwen. So much." She held on just as tightly. "I'm so glad to see you."

Guinevere pulled back slightly, and her eyes searched Morgana's face wildly. "Are you alright? Are you injured?"

"I'm fine, Gwen, truly." Morgana said with a laugh and a small smile.

"We're taking her to see Gaius, to make sure she's well." Arthur added, causing Guinevere to let go of Morgana.

"Oh, I'm sorry my lady! I'm sure you're tired, and we should get you to Gaius as soon as possible-" She was cut off by Morgana, who wrapped her arms around her once again. They both embraced once more.

"I thought I'd never see you again." Morgana whispered. The pain in her voice made Arthur's heart ache for her yet again.

"You're safe now, my Lady." Guinevere said with a smile.

"Come, let's get you to Gaius before you fall asleep in the hallway." Arthur teased lightheartedly, and Morgana let go of Gwen, a smile still on her face and tears in her eyes.

Guinevere held Morgana's hand the entire way to the physician's chambers, where they were met at the door by Gaius himself.

"My Lady." He said in shock. "Morgana, it is good to see you alive and well."

Morgana smiled tightly at him. "It is good to be home, Gaius."

"Come inside, and let me see how you are faring." Gaius instructed, and Arthur and Guinevere led Morgana to a chair in front of the fire. She collapsed into it tiredly, and Gaius began to ask her questions and examine her. Within a few moments, Gaius had deemed her physically unharmed, although slightly underweight and in need of a good night's rest and a hearty meal.

"Sire, I assume you'd like to know about your father's condition?" Gaius asked, turning towards Arthur and Merlin.

"Yes," Arthur answered. "Has he shown any signs of waking yet?"

"No, sire. I am afraid he remains unconscious. However, I believe I have discovered the spell that Morgause used against him." Gaius looked downcast.

"What spell is it?" Arthur asked with concern.

"The spell is a very powerful one and is meant to drain the body of energy and life force. The longer the spell holds, the more likely the person will succumb to it, and will eventually die. This means that the time Uther was held under the spell is of the utmost importance to us. Are you aware of how long Morgause was able to cast the spell?"

"It couldn't have been more than a minute or two, Gaius." Merlin answered. "She broke concentration fairly quickly, in order to fight with Arthur."

"That bears well for Uther then, although I can't say it makes things much better overall. I'm afraid that the spell is dangerous in any quantity, even just a short period of time can have deadly consequences. I won't know for sure until he awakes, but it is safe to assume he will be significantly weakened by the attack."

"How much so?" Arthur questioned. "How long will it take him to recover?"

"Well, that is another issue we will have to face. Assuming I have found the correct spell, which I am fairly certain I have, then it would seem that the effects cannot be easily reversed. We can only hope that your father was only weakened somewhat, and that he'll still be fit to rule when, and if, he wakes."

"Could we use magic to help him?" Merlin asked, and Gaius looked nervously towards Guinevere and Morgana who still sat on the other side of the room.

"Everyone here is aware of who Merlin is, and what his powers are." Arthur assured Gaius calmly. "We can speak freely." Gauis cast another nervous look towards Morgana but continued speaking anyways.

"I'm afraid magic will do no good in this situation, Merlin. Even powerful magic like yours. The spell is designed to remove the life force of a person. The only way to restore that life force would be to take it from another already existing life."

"A life for a life, then? Or something like that?" Merlin clarified.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Which means using magic would be too dangerous in this case. We wouldn't be able to predict the consequences."

"What about his mind then, Gaius?" Arthur asked. "Will his mental state be clear enough to rule?"

"His mental state should be unaffected, have no fear of that. He will be as alert as he was before the spell, and he will have retained all of his memory."

"Well, that's one bit of good news then. I suppose now all we can do is wait for him to wake?"

"Yes, Sire. And as soon as he does, I will let you know of his condition."

"Thank you, Gaius." Arthur replied, feeling tired and worn.

"Morgana, I think it's about time you returned to your chambers, yes?" Arthur turned his gaze towards his sister.

"Yes, I suppose it is." Morgana replied, rising to her feet. "But first, I want to know something, Gaius." Morgana's bitter gaze fixed on Gaius's face. "You knew I was a seer, and yet you lied to me. Why?"

Gaius sighed, looking sad, and Guinevere looked both shocked and as if she already knew it to be true at the same time.

"I was concerned about your safety, my child. I didn't know how Uther would react if he suspected you of sorcery, and I felt it would be best if you never knew of your powers. It may not have been the best decision, but I only did it for your own good." Morgana's icy look faded slightly, and she looked worn out once again.

"I can't say I agree with it, but I'm tired of being angry at everyone for things I cannot change." She sighed and looked up at Gaius. "I can't forgive you just yet. I was so afraid, and alone, and I just wanted you to acknowledge that I wasn't crazy. But I can't hate you either."

"So all of your dreams, my Lady." Guinevere interrupted. "They were dreams of the future after all?"

"Yes, Gwen. Does it bother you?" Morgana asked, looking slightly nervous and afraid of what Guinevere's reaction would be.

"No, of course not!" Guinevere immediately soothed her, grabbing her hands and looking at her comfortingly. "It's a gift, Morgana, not something to be feared."

"Guinevere, I think you should escort Morgana back to her chambers." Arthur instructed. "I'll get another servant to fetch us a meal, and I will come and dine with you later after you've freshened up. If that's alright, of course."

"Yes, Arthur, I would like that. Have them bring enough for Gwen as well."

Guinevere began to protest, but Morgana shushed her. "I want to spend time with you, Gwen. I've missed out on so much, and I want to know everything that's happened while I was gone. Please?"

"Of course." Guinevere replied with a smile.

Arthur smiled softly at the sight of the two of them, glad to see that Morgana still had a loyal friend in Guinevere.

...

Merlin had followed Arthur silently to their father's chambers, observing Arthur as they went.

Merlin was glad to see that, despite all of the events of the past few days, Arthur seemed to be handling things well. And he knew Arthur was beyond overjoyed that Morgana was found, safe, and still on their side, and Merlin was glad she had returned as well. Even though she was angry with him.

They entered their father's chambers to find him asleep on his bed. It was strange to see him, as he didn't look injured. In fact, he looked as if he was simply sleeping peacefully and could awaken at any moment. If Merlin hadn't seen him collapse in the throne room he might not have believed he was injured at all.

Arthur pulled a chair to his bedside, and Merlin followed his lead, grabbing a chair of his own. They sat in silence for a few moments, and Arthur seemed to be deep in thought. He rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands under his chin.

Merlin was deep in thought too. It felt as if he was beginning to understand for the first time that Uther, the King, truly was his father. It was a strange feeling, and he hadn't really let it sink in until then.

When he'd found out Arthur was his brother, it had been an easy switch in his brain. It made sense in a way that they would be related. After all, he and Arthur got along well, they cared for each other, and they shared a destiny. That they were brothers was just the finishing piece to the puzzle in a way. But Uther being his father, that was another story.

As he observed Uther lying silently on the bed, he wondered what it would be like when he awoke. What would he think of Merlin? Arthur seemed certain he would care for him, but Uther had never seemed to acknowledge his existence before, except when it was to scold him for being an idiot. He wondered if he'd be disappointed that Merlin was his son, and not someone else.

Then there was the issue of his mother and Balinor. His mind was still trying to process the fact that the man he'd grieved for as the father he'd never known was actually his uncle. It was hard to reconcile in his mind. But even harder to believe was that Hunith, the woman he'd always loved and cherished all his life, who had raised him, and who had comforted him and told him he wasn't a monster for having magic, she wasn't his mother by blood. He had believed Gaius when he'd assured him that she still loved him, but it was still a shock to him that his real mother was actually dead, and had been his entire life. He was, in all actuality, motherless, and he'd never known it until now.

Merlin was suddenly struck by an overwhelming sense of homesickness. He wanted to go back to Ealdor, to go back to the time when everything had been simpler, and things had made sense. Except that was impossible. Will was dead, his mother wasn't his mother, and he now had so many friends and family in Camelot that he couldn't just abandon. Ealdor wasn't his home anymore, even if he wanted it to be.

"Merlin, are you alright?" Arthur spoke up, jolting Merlin out of his melancholy thoughts. "You've been lost in thought for a quite a while."

"I'm fine." He replied. "Just thinking. About Ealdor, and my mother. I mean, Hunith." He sighed. "I don't think this is ever going to get easier, is it?"

"Merlin, she is still your mother, you know." Arthur said. "Just because you don't share the same blood, it doesn't change the fact that she is the one who raised you and took care of you. A family isn't just the people you're born with. You of all people should know that, seeing as you're the one who told me that. A few weeks ago, when father and I were fighting, remember?"

"Yeah, I did. And then we found out we were related." Merlin replied.

"Yes, we are related, but the knights, our friends. They're as much family to us, and we're not related to any of them, are we?"

"No, I suppose your right," Merlin replied, subdued. "I feel like I need to talk to her though. I need closure of some sort. I need to know why she wouldn't tell me about this."

"I could send one of the knights to fetch her and bring her here to Camelot, to see you." Arthur offered. "We could even offer her a place to stay if she wanted. So that she could be near you again. I know that you miss her."

"I do miss her Arthur, but Ealdor is her home. I can't imagine she'd want to leave it, even for me."

"Well, at the very least, it can't hurt to ask." Arthur replied. "I'll send Leon out to fetch her tomorrow morning."

"You don't have to do that, Arthur. I can just send her a letter."

"No, Merlin. It's fine. I'd rather like to see her again as well. She seemed rather fond of me." He smirked, seemingly back to teasing Merlin again. It comforted Merlin to know that the recent events hadn't changed their friendship too much. He wasn't sure he would have been able to handle it if Arthur suddenly treated him differently.

"She did like you, even though you didn't like her cooking." Merlin smiled at the thought. "You know, when I last saw her, she told me I belonged in Camelot. That you and I were two sides of the same coin. I thought then that she was talking about me protecting you with my magic, but I guess she meant because we were related. At least, I'd assume that's what she meant." His brow furrowed. "Although I wonder, did she actually know we were related? Or did Gaius and Balinor not tell her who I was?" He mused.

"Well, that's something you can ask her when she gets here." Arthur replied, standing to his feet. "I need to head to Morgana's chambers. I'd say your welcome to join us, but..." His voice trailed off.

"I know what you're planning, Arthur, and I don't think you should push it. I know that you want to try and force us to reconcile."

"Guilty as charged." Arthur smiled sheepishly. "You do want to reconcile things though, don't you Merlin?"

"Of course. But you can't push it, Arthur. Morgana will forgive me when she feels like it, and if she feels like it."

"It's just that, I've only just now realized I have quite a large family. I'd rather like us to all get along. Or tolerate each other, at the very least."

Merlin let out a small laugh.

"I'll leave it be, for now." Arthur promised him.

Silence.

"Well, are you going to stay here?" Arthur asked him.

"No," Merlin replied, standing up as well. "I guess I'll just go and..." His voice trailed off, as a thought struck him.

"Arthur, what am I supposed to do now?" Merlin asked. "Am I supposed to just keep being your manservant like nothing's happened?"

"No, of course not!" Arthur replied. "You're a Prince, Merlin. You can't keep mucking out my stables and washing my socks."

"Then what am I supposed to do in the meantime?" Merlin asked with confusion. "Uther doesn't know who I am yet, so I can't be acknowledged as a Prince publically."

"Go back to Gaius. You can assist him if you truly need something to do. But really, Merlin. You're always complaining that you never get days off, and now you have a chance to relax for a while. Enjoy it while you can. Once Uther recognizes you publically you're going to have a lot of duties to attend to, and you're going to have to learn about being a member of the court."

Merlin scrunched his face up in disgust. "I don't think I like the sound of that."

"Oh, I don't know." Arthur suddenly smirked at him. "I think it will be wonderful. All of the pomp and circumstance. I'm sure you'll be a natural at it."

"You're just happy because you'll get to watch me make a fool out of myself." Merlin scowled. "I'll probably spill wine on somebody, or step on their toes, or insult them without realizing it."

"You'll be fine, Merlin." Arthur laughed. "I have no doubt there will be a few blunders, but you're competent enough when you need to be."

"Was that a compliment?" Merlin scoffed with a smirk.

"Of course not." Arthur replied, but there was an amused twinkle in his eye. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

He pushed Merlin teasingly, and together they walked out of their father's room.

...

Arthur had been glad that dinner with Morgana had gone over well. Guinevere had sat at the table with them, and her usual nerves at seeing Arthur had been overcome by her happiness at the return of her Lady. She'd happily carried on a conversation, informing Morgana of anything and everything she had wanted to know. Arthur had been pleased to see her smile the entire time, and even more pleased that he could simply relax and listen, instead of having to speak himself. Guinevere hadn't seemed that happy for quite a while, and Morgana seemed to be happy as well, giving many genuine smiles. She'd bathed before he came, and it had done wonders for her appearance. Guinevere had done her hair as well as putting her in one of her favorite dresses, which had done wonders to make her look like herself again. Other than the fact that she was thinner than normal, and that there were bags under her eyes, it was almost as if she had never left at all.

He'd left her and Guinevere as soon as the meal was over, after instructing her to sleep for as long as she needed. She'd smiled at him in response, and promised he wouldn't see her until at least noon, all with a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her lips. It had made his chest constrict, seeing her smiling face and thinking about how long it had been since he'd seen it last. He'd excused himself than before he became overly emotional in front of Morgana. He would have never heard the end of that.

After he'd excused himself, he'd planned to return to his own chambers and work on some paperwork before nightfall. That was until Gaius stopped him in the corridor, and told him they needed to speak.

That was how Arthur found himself sitting in Gaius's chambers now, Merlin at his side once again.

"Sire, I should first say that I am in no way seeking to anger you or to direct your actions in any way. I simply think we need to look at all the possibilities that are before us."

"Gaius, feel free to say whatever you wish. I will take no offense at it, I'm sure."

"Of course, Sire." Gaius nodded. "I only wanted to ask you if you've considered the fact that you may need to prepare yourself to take your father's place by becoming Prince Regent. Or perhaps even King, depending on the state of your father's health when he wakes."

"Gaius, I thought you said he might be alright after all?" Merlin asked.

"There is a possibility that he will still be able to rule, to be sure. But there is also a far more likely possibility that he will be too weak to continue on as he has."

"Are you saying it's most likely that he won't survive this then?" Arthur questioned, feeling his heart sink.

"No, Sire. Not at all." Gaius quickly assured him. "There is a high possibility that he will live, but it is more than likely that he will be so weakened that he won't be able to complete his duties."

Arthur fell silent, and he rubbed his temples in distress.

"I am not insinuating that you should take power from your father while he is still fit to rule. I just want you to be prepared, Sire, in case you will have to take on the responsibility sooner than you would have liked."

"But what is the likelihood that he would just surrender his powers to me, even if he is in a state that makes him unfit to rule?" Arthur asked. "He's stubborn, Gaius. He's not likely to just give everything up because he's suddenly tired."

"He will be beyond tired, Sire, if this spell has truly harmed him. Believe me when I say he will have no choice in the matter, should it come to that." Gaius sighed. "I'm sorry to trouble you with this. Just keep it in mind, should things take a turn for the worse."

"I will Gaius. And thank you for being honest with me about his condition." Arthur replied. He stood to his feet. "Goodnight, Gaius, Merlin."

"Do you need any help getting ready for bed?" Merlin asked.

"Merlin, I meant what I said earlier. Enjoy your time off while you have it." He reminded Merlin with a wave of his hand. "I'll see you both tomorrow. And please do not hesitate to wake me, Gaius, if my father's condition changes in any way."

"Of course." Gaius replied.

Arthur removed himself from the room, and shut the door behind him carefully, before leaning up against the wall outside of the physician's chambers. He took a deep breath to steady himself.

He wasn't sure he was ready to be king, but if it came to it, he may have no other choice. He could only be glad that, if he did have to become king, he would have plenty of support. He pushed himself off of the wall wearily and began to make his way to his chambers, hoping the entire way that his father would awaken soon in good health.


	7. To be a Family

Author's note: We've finally reached Uther's reaction in this chapter. Sorry it took so long! There were just so many other plot points I wanted to put in and wrap up before I got to this point. Hopefully, you enjoy it and find it was worth the wait.

...

Arthur was sitting at his father's bedside, as he had for the past four days. Even though Gaius consistently insisted the chance of his father awakening was high, he grew more and more disheartened as time went on. It was difficult for him to see his father lying unresponsive, and know he could do nothing about it but wait.

Sometimes, Merlin would sit by his side, offering his silent comfort. Sometimes Guinevere would join him for a time. Once Morgana had joined him, although she'd become uncomfortable sitting in Uther's presence and had quickly vacated the premises. But, most often, Arthur found himself alone with his thoughts, wondering when or if his father would awake. Today, his only company was Gaius. The court physician had tended to his father's unresponsive frame and then had proceeded to sit next to him and discuss his father's condition. They had just finished considering if it was feasible to try some sort of potion or remedy to wake him up when Arthur noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye.

"Father?" Arthur asked softly, feeling hope swell in his chest.

His father made a quiet sound, and his eyelids fluttered open.

Arthur let out a short, happy cry. Forgetting his usual reservations when it came to his father, he grabbed his hand and held it tightly.

"Arthur? Gaius?" Uther's voice was tired but clear.

"It is good to see you awake, Sire." Gaius said with a smile. "You've been asleep for almost a week now."

"A week?" Uther replied, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What happened? The last thing I can remember clearly is blocking the sorceress from attacking Arthur."

"You protected me, Father, but Morgause was too quick for us. She cast a spell on you, and even though she only held it for a few moments, it was still enough to render you unconscious."

"What spell was this, Gaius?" Uther asked. "What are its effects?"

"The spell is designed to remove a person's energy, Sire. I'm afraid you will find yourself significantly weakened."

"How weakened Gaius?" Uther asked reservedly.

"I'm not sure yet, Sire." Gaius responded honestly. "The best way to determine that is to have you try and complete a series of tasks, and we'll see how much energy the spell removed."

"Of course, Gaius." Uther replied. "Whatever you think is best."

Arthur stepped back to give Gaius room to work. He still felt hopeful as he watched his father, under Gaius's patient instruction, attempt to complete the simple tasks set before him. He was glad to see that the simplest tasks, moving his limbs, his head, and other similar things, seemed to be no issue. Other smalls skills were also easy for him, and he had no problems writing on the parchment Gaius sat before him or raising a spoon placed in his hands as if to eat. However, it became clear the spell had indeed affected him when Gaius recommended he try and stand.

His father struggled more than normal in order to move to sit on the edge of the bed with his feet on the ground, but it wasn't too great of a struggle that he couldn't complete the task unaided. However, once his father attempted to stand, the problems began.

He was able to stand on his feet without help, but he looked significantly winded by the simple task. When Gaius suggested walking across the room, he was able to start the action for himself. His father took a few steps, making it halfway across his chambers before his knees buckled and he stumbled and began to fall. Arthur and Gaius both rushed forward quickly and caught him before he hit the floor, but it was a close thing.

"Shall we try again, Sire?" Gaius asked as they raised Uther to stand once more.

"No, Gaius." Uther replied with a defeated sigh. "I think I should return to the bed for a moment."

Between the two of them, they managed to maneuver him back to a sitting position on the edge of the bed.

"It's strange, Gaius. My mind is clear, but my body doesn't respond." Uther's breathing was fast, as if he had been in a fight, not simply walked across his own chambers.

"It's the effect of the spell, Sire." Gaius explained. "It affects only the body, not the mind."

"What can be done to reverse it affects?" Uther asked.

"Nothing, Sire. I am afraid we will have to make due with what we have."

"A king cannot rule if he is unable to even walk across his own room." Uther's voice sounded tired and broken, and Arthur felt his heart sink.

"Sire, there is still a chance the exhaustion you feel could be from your extended period of unconsciousness. For now, you could give some responsibilities to Arthur while you focus on recovery. It is possible that, given time, some of your strength could return to you."

"Gaius, don't lie to me." Uther sighed. "How likely is it that I will recover from this? I want your most accurate assessment of the situation."

"It is not impossible that you might recover enough to return to at least most of your regular duties, but the chances of that happening are rather small, Sire. I'm sorry."

Uther sighed, looking sad only for a moment, before placing a kingly countenance on his face once more. "Then we need to begin planning our next steps. Arthur," Uther turned his attention to him. "Are you prepared to take on more responsibilities?"

"Father?" Arthur asked, shocked. He was surprised that his father would come to the conclusion of giving away his responsibilities without prompting.

"I'm not going to fool myself, Arthur. If I don't recover, you will have to step up as regent."

Arthur and Gaius shared a surprised look.

"Sire, there's no need to be hasty. I'm sure that, given time, you-"

"Gaius, should I recover, then we'll forget about this conversation and move on as normal. However, in the more likely case that I don't, Arthur needs to be prepared." Uther sighed. "And don't try to fool me into thinking you haven't thought about this yet, Gaius. I'm sure you've both already discussed this."

"We have talked about it, Father, but I'm not looking to usurp you. I only want to do what I can to help you." Arthur replied honestly.

"I know. But I can feel already that I'm much too weak to complete necessary tasks, and as long as I remain this way, there is no way I can continue on as I have."

"You could always complete some tasks from your bed if need be, and then leave the rest that you can't do to me." Arthur offered.

"No, that would portray Camelot as weak and vulnerable. A king that cannot complete his duties is a situation ready for other kingdoms to exploit. It's best for Camelot to have a strong, unified rule."

Arthur was silent. He couldn't argue with his father's logic, but he also did not want to acknowledge the fact that he might really have to take over after all.

"Don't let it bother you too much at this time, Sire." Gaius insisted. "We'll just focus on your recovery for now. But for the moment, I'll leave you and Arthur to talk. I believe he has something he wants to share with you."

Gaius quickly exited the room, leaving Arthur sitting at his father's side. He knew it was time to tell his father about Merlin, and he couldn't help but feel apprehensive about the situation.

"Ah, yes! You mentioned before all of this that you had discovered the identity of your brother?" Uther's eyes lit up with barely contained joy at the prospect of meeting his second son.

"Yes, Father. That is correct." Arthur answered with a nod of his head.

"Well, who is he? Do we know of him? Is he in Camelot?"

"He is indeed in Camelot." Arthur replied reluctantly. "Father, before I tell you who he is, I have to make sure of something. Are you still certain about lessening the restrictions on magic users?"

"Yes," Uther replied sincerely. "As long as it will make your brother more comfortable, I am willing to lay aside some of my fears and concerns."

Arthur nodded. "Then I'll tell you. But you have to swear to me that you won't take back your word once I reveal his identity."

"I swear it." Uther replied.

Arthur took a deep breath. "My brother has been in Camelot for quite some time. He's been protecting me. With magic."

"Truly?" Uther replied, looking much less disturbed than Arthur had expected, although still not comfortable by any means. "I had wondered if there was someone looking out for you. At time's it seemed almost as if you were too lucky. But who am I to question your good fortune? I'm glad to hear your brother is loyal to Camelot, then."

"Yes, he is loyal indeed." Arthur could feel the nervousness settling in his bones, but he forced himself to continue on. "He's sacrificed his life for mine many a time. And he's served me faithfully."

"I am glad to hear it, but please, Arthur. His name."

"Does the name Merlin mean anything to you?" Arthur tried to say it jokingly, but he found it came out more nervous than he would have liked.

"Merlin, your manservant?" Uther looked confused. "You're not telling me-" Uther's eyes grew wide. "Arthur, are you saying your brother is Merlin?"

"Yes, father. It would seem that Balinor and Gaius smuggled him to Ealdor, where he grew up until he came to Camelot."

"And I made him your manservant." Uther said, sinking back into the pillows of the bed in exhaustion and rubbing his eyes with his hand.

They sat in silence for a few moments, before Uther spoke again.

"How long has Merlin known about this?"

"Only about a week now. He put things together when the midwives arrived."

"And what have you done about this fact, while I've been asleep?"

"Nothing. I didn't dare recognize him as a Prince without your approval. We've been waiting for you to awake before we made our next move."

Uther looked at him in shock. "Don't tell me you've made him continue his manservant duties in the meantime."

"No, Father. Of course not. He's been helping Gaius somewhat, but for the most part, he's done nothing since I found out."

"I cannot believe he was under my nose this entire time." Uther sighed, sounding melancholic. "My own son, a servant in my own kingdom." He smiled slightly. "I suppose I'm going to have to make it up to him. And he'll have to be recognized as royalty as soon as possible. I won't have my son existing in a state of limbo for longer than necessary."

"Does it bother you that he was raised by a peasant?" Arthur asked warily.

"I can't say that any of this has made me happy, or that I am content with the fact that someone else raised my son instead of me, but no. It doesn't bother me, as it were." Uther replied. "Although, that does raise an important point. The boy lacks proper etiquette during simple serving tasks. I do wonder if he'll be able to handle the life of royalty. Although, I would assume I am right in thinking he's not as much of a fool as he has often appeared?"

"Well, Merlin does have a knack for tripping over his own two feet, but he's also brave, and very wise when he needs to be." Arthur mused. "I think, with the proper tutorage, he should be fine. Or acceptable at the very least."

Uther nodded in response. "Then you should see to it that tutors are contacted as soon as possible, to prepare him."

"Of course, Father." Arthur replied. "But before we continue, there is something else I need to tell you. While you were unconscious, I took the opportunity to follow after Morgause. She was wounded, and we managed to bring her down."

"She is dead then?"

"Yes."

"Good." Uther said, looking extremely relieved.

"We found her in an abandoned fortress, but she wasn't alone. We found Morgana there as well, in her dungeons."

"Morgana?" Uther exclaims, tears forming in his eyes. "Is she here? Is she alright?"

"She's fine. Tired, and somewhat malnourished, but overall, fine. She did tell me something, though. Something Morguase told her, about her birth." Uther's eyes lit up in recognition, but he didn't speak. "She said that you are her father, not Gorlois."

"It is true." Uther sighed his voice a mere whisper, and he collapsed onto the bed once more. "My relationship with her mother was a mistake I have dearly regretted since the moment it happened. It was a moment of weakness in my grief of losing your mother. However, I have not once regretted her conception. She is very dear to me, and I only want the best for her. But I did not wish to dishonor her late father and mother by recognizing her as my own. However, I also couldn't bear the thought of someone else taking her in after her parent's deaths, so I took her in as my ward."

"She seems very hurt that you didn't tell her." Arthur responded honestly.

"Then that will be something I will need to apologize to her for," Uther replied. "As soon as possible."

There was silence for a few moments.

"Father, are you truly alright with me becoming regent, should it come to that?" Arthur asked, feeling nervous to receive the answer.

"I can't say it is an ideal situation for me, but I have no reservations about allowing you to lead, Arthur." Uther replied reluctantly, but with sincerity. "You have proved yourself to be your own man time and again. I couldn't be more proud of you, and I am quite content that you will lead Camelot well when I am not able to."

Arthur felt touched that his father would admit he was proud of him, and he smiled softly.

"Arthur, I want you to fetch Merlin for me, and begin working on preparing the things we have discussed." Uther's face was weary and tired as if the discussion had taken a toll on him. "I want to speak to him, and to Morgana later. I think it's time to acknowledge my entire family publically while I still can."

"Of course," Arthur replied, rising to his feet. "But you should be aware that Morgana is angrier than I have ever seen her. There is a possibility that she may not want to speak to you. But I will go and fetch Merlin for now, and see if I can work on her later."

"Thank you, Arthur." Uther smiled at him softly and reached out to pat him on the arm. "I am proud of you, my son."

A lump quickly made it's way to his throat, and Arthur found he could only nod in response. His father dropped his hand, and Arthur quickly exited the room, fleeing from the unfamiliar sentiments and moving to fetch Merlin.

...

Merlin had spent the last few days running errands for Gaius, talking to his friends occasionally, and overall, feeling extremely bored and anxious. There were only so many herbs that needed to be picked and potions that needed to be stirred, which meant Merlin was quickly left with no job to do. He felt idle, and although he had often thought he would enjoy doing nothing, he found it didn't suit him as well as he had expected. He itched to do something, anything, that would be worthwhile. He knew he hadn't been a very good manservant, but at least with that, he could see some improvement that he was making by tending to Arthur's needs. Now, he just felt out of place. Not a servant, but also not really a prince.

Today, Gaius had nothing for him to do, and all of his friends were preoccupied with some task or another, so Merlin had shut himself in his chambers above Gaius's workroom and began to study in his spellbook. However, after spending most of the day doing so, he was beginning to feel the boredom creep in yet again. He'd never thought magic could be boring, but after seeing at least forty different spells on how to create fire, he was beginning to find magic much too repetitive. Not to mention the fact that the constant reading was making his eyes hurt.

He shut the book a tad bit dramatically and flopped down onto his bed with a loud sigh. Surely, there had to be something else he could do! He was half tempted to beg Arthur to give him his manservant duties back. Or at least the ones he enjoyed, like tending to Arthur's armor. He could go without cleaning Arthur's socks.

He shot up in bed when he heard Gaius yelling his name. "Merlin? You have a visitor, my boy. Could you come here?"

Merlin was confused as to who could be visiting him when everyone had been busy last he'd checked. But he was happy to break the monotony of his day, and he quickly exited his small room.

His breath was stolen from him when he reached the bottom of the stairs and saw who was standing by the door next to Gaius.

"Mother?" He managed to gasp out, feeling tears come to his eyes. He had forgotten Arthur's promise to send someone to fetch her.

"Merlin." His mother replied softly. She sounded unsure and sad. And Merlin hated it.

"Mum." He choked out once more, and he all but ran forward to wrap his arms around her.

She didn't return the embrace at first, seemingly reluctant to hold him, and Merlin was worried for a split second that Arthur had been wrong and that maybe she didn't see herself as his mum anymore. However, his fears were soothed a few moments later when she wrapped her arms around him and held him just as tightly. As he held her, he noticed Gaius leaving the room, in order to afford them some privacy.

"Oh, Merlin." She said in a voice wet with tears. "Oh, my son. I was so worried. I couldn't. I can't-" She let out a sob, and he could feel a wet patch growing from her tears on his shoulder. It broke his heart. "I am so sorry, Merlin."

Merlin pulled back to look at her properly. Her eyes were red-rimmed from her tears, and her face showed signs of many sleepless nights.

"Are you alright?" Merlin couldn't help but ask.

"I should be asking that of you." She replied sadly, raising her hand to stroke his cheek.

"I'm fine, mum." Merlin soothed her. "Overwhelmed a bit, but I'm fine."

"I am sorry, truly sorry. I should have told you, should have never have kept this from you." She began to cry. Merlin managed to maneuver her to a chair, and he kneeled down in front of her.

"It's alright. I understand. I just hope that. I mean, I wish. It's just-" He stuttered extensively, the words escaping him in his nervousness. "I just, I love you so much, mum. You've done so much for me. And now I can't help but feel as if I've taken up your time, or done something wrong, or-"

"Merlin, never think that." She grasped his hands and her eyes were pleading. "No matter what happens, no matter what blood runs through your veins; you are my son. You were a blessing to me at a time when I was utterly alone, and I love you more than I could possibly say. I was so grateful to be able to raise you, and I am so proud of the man you have become."

He leaned in once more, burying his head on her shoulder, inhaling her familiar scent. He felt the anxiety that had settled in his chest melting away in her presence. She always had been able to calm him and make the worst of days better.

"Mum, I, I want you to stay. Here, in Camelot. With me." He whispered softly to her.

"Merlin, I can't leave Ealdor. Where would I work? Where would I stay?" She rubbed circles soothingly on his back as she talked.

Merlin pulled back to look into her eyes. "Arthur agrees with me. He want's you to come here, permanently. He'd take care of everything."

"I won't intrude upon the Prince's hospitality, Merlin." She replied seriously.

"It wouldn't be intruding! You could find work if you wanted to. You could even help out Gaius."

"I don't know, Merlin." She mused, looking unsure.

"At least stay for a few days, and consider it?" Merlin asked. "I need you here right now." He admitted, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

She nodded, smiling softly at him. "I'll think about it." She kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Now, tell me what's been happening here since I last saw you."

Merlin smiled slightly, and he launched into the tale of the midwives, and all of the revelations that had come after that. Despite the fact that she kept apologizing for having never told him, Merlin found the act of talking through things with his mother very calming and centering. It was almost as if things were back to normal again.

Gradually, their conversation shifted to discuss other things, such as Balinor and the story of how he'd come to Ealdor with a young Merlin and met Hunith and was eventually forced to flee. They talked about some of his mother's experiences and about old memories they both shared. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice Arthur slip inside of the room until he let out a pointed cough.

"Sire." Hunith exclaimed in surprise, hastily rising to her feet and giving a small curtsy.

"Hunith, please, sit." Arthur gestured for her to return to her seat, and he walked forward to her, grabbing her hand and kissing it as if she were a noblewoman. She blushed slightly, and let out a fond smile. "There's no need for formalities. I am just glad to see you made it here safely. I trust you're well?"

"Yes, Sire." She responded.

"Good," Arthur replied sincerely. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Did you need me for something?" Merlin asked, sensing that Arthur was here for more than just a friendly visit.

"Yes, actually." Arthur replied. "I hate to interrupt your visit, but Father is awake." Merlin felt his eyes grow wide.

"Did you tell him?" He whispered with dread.

"Yes, I did. And there's no need to look so concerned, Merlin. He took it very well." Arthur sighed, and looked away from his gaze. "He's going to most likely ask me to become regent, however. He's very weak." Arthur shook his head as if dispelling his thoughts. "But the good news is he's awake, and alert. And he asked to see you."

"Me?" Merlin felt his voice almost squeak, much to his embarrassment.

"Yes, Merlin." Arthur replied. "And the sooner the better. I doubt that this experience has made him any more patient than normal."

Merlin gulped. "Right." He stood, and braced himself. "I guess, I'll just, go, then."

"I'll be waiting right here for you until you get back." His mum replied. He turned and nodded and her, before quickly walking as fast as he could out of the door.

As he shut the door behind him he heard Arthur begin to chat with his mum. Maybe he'd be able to convince her to stay in Camelot. He'd like to at least have one caring parent here with him.

Setting the thoughts out of his mind, he forced his feet to move. With every step, he couldn't help but feel like he was walking to his doom. Surely, Uther couldn't accept that he had a magic son this easily. Could he?

...

Uther sat upon his bed, pieces of parchment scattered around him and a quill in his hand. He'd had his manservant fetch him the parchment as soon as Gaius and Arthur had left him, and he'd immediately launched himself into the plans to make his son feel more at home. They still bothered him greatly, and he was having a hard time coming up with any document that fit his standards. However, he'd promised, and he intended to keep that promise for both of his sons."

He set his quill down tiredly. Even simply writing was almost too much for him after a time.

Then a knock sounded on his door. It was soft, cautious, and he almost missed it entirely.

"Come in." He replied, and the door swung open slowly to reveal Merlin.

The boy looked more nervous and scared than he'd ever seen him, and he slowly shuffled into the room, avoiding eye contact with Uther at all costs.

"Merlin, I'm glad you could come. Please, sit down." He gestured to the chair that Arthur had left next to his bed.

Merlin sat down cautiously, still looking intently at the floor and not at Uther. His hands gripped each other in his lap, so tightly clasped that his knuckles were beginning to turn white.

"I'm sure you're aware by now that Arthur has informed me of the current situation." He began, unsure of how to approach the situation.

"Y-yes, Sire." Merlin responded, eyes still unmoving.

"Then you are also aware that we have much to discuss?" Uther asked, and Merlin nodded jerkily. "I feel that the first order of business should be recognizing you publically as a Prince of Camelot." Merlin's head shot up, and he looked at Uther in shock. "The sooner the better, of course."

Merlin's eyes were wide and his mouth had fallen open, although no words were coming out.

"That does mean we'll have to assign you proper chambers and get you a better wardrobe." Merlin began to sputter, but Uther continued. "We'll also have to give you proper training in the things you have grown up without. Etiquette, sword fighting, politics, and of course a basic education, like mathematics, the philosophies, reading-"

"I can read." Merlin interrupted, looking slightly offended.

"Ah, of course," Uther replied, softening his tone somewhat to try and put his new son at ease. "But all of that is already being done, Arthur is seeing to it. No, what I'd rather talk right now about is you."

"Me, Sire?" Merlin choked out.

"Yes." Uther sat up more, making sure to look Merlin in the eye, and making a conscious effort to remain calm and caring so as not to frighten him more than he already was. "I have much to apologize for, it seems." Merlin quirked an eyebrow in response, seemingly confused.

"Whether consciously or not, my actions have torn this family apart, and for that, I apologize, my son." Merlin looked shocked yet again, but he kept his mouth closed this time, and kept eye contact as well. "You should have grown up here, with everything you could have ever wanted, but instead you were forced to grow up as a peasant, in need. And then, in the worst offense of all, I unknowingly made you a servant to your own brother." Uther sighed, still unable to believe that he had done such a thing to his own son.

"With all due respect, Sire, I don't regret how I grew up." Merlin interrupted. His voice sounded nervous, but his tone was clear and he didn't stutter or balk. "I wouldn't be able to relate to the citizens of Camelot, or have learned how to work hard, or really be me at all if I hadn't have grown up in Ealdor. And I don't regret for one moment that I was Arthur's servant. I would have happily remained his servant until the day I died. I still plan to continue serving him even now. He's going to be a great king, Sire, and I want to make sure he's safe no matter what I have to do to assure that." Uther caught the double meaning behind his words, that he'd used his magic to protect Arthur. Merlin also seemed to realize what he'd all but admitted too, and his eyes grew wide again with fear before he dropped his anxious gaze to his lap once more.

"I am grateful for your loyalty to Arthur, and for what you've done to protect him." Uther responded calmly, trying to reassure his son that he had nothing to fear, even as Uther himself felt the fear of magic building within his chest. He pushed it aside though, in order to get to know his son.

Merlin nodded but didn't speak.

Uther realized that until Merlin grew more comfortable with the idea of having the King as his father, he wasn't going to get very far in conversations with the boy. So, even as his heart told him to force his son to stay and get to know him, he decided he would do what was best for Merlin at the moment. "Well, I suppose that's all we needed to discuss for now. I will call for the steward and have a manservant assigned to you-"

"Please, Sire, I don't need a servant!" Merlin interrupted passionately, finally looking him in the eyes again. "Really, I'm used to doing everything for myself, so it's fine."

"The life of a Prince is much different from the life of a peasant. You will not have the time to do everything yourself, especially after your coronation." Merlin's face paled at the mention of a coronation. "You must understand that, Merlin. Surely you remember how much work Arthur had you do daily?"

"Yes, but he overworks his servants," Merlin said with a pout, seemingly forgetting his nervousness. It amused Uther that his son would only open up to him when it came to complaining about his brother. It would seem they were natural siblings already. "I wouldn't need someone to wash my floors five times a day, or take on extra jobs that are supposed to go to other servants, like mucking the stables and-"

"Arthur had you mucking his stables?" Uther exclaimed.

"W-well, he hasn't done it in a while. He just used to do it, back when he was a pr-" Merlin stopped speaking suddenly, his mouth shutting very fast.

"When he was a what?" Uther pressed.

"A prat, Sire." Merlin mumbled.

Uther let out a laugh. "Yes, he was a bit of a, prat, as you say, wasn't he? He's matured much in the past years. I think that has something to do with your influence, doesn't it?"

Merlin blushed, looking embarrassed, but he said nothing.

"Well, I will concede to letting you complete some tasks by yourself if I must." Uther continued, and Merlin's grateful face told him he was making the right decision. "However, you will need a servant for some things. And that is final. But I will let you and Arthur decide together how much work you'll actually need your servant to do for you."

Merlin nodded.

"I know I have given you no reason to trust me in the past, my son, but I would like to get to know you if you are willing." Uther said honestly.

"What would you want me to do, Sire?" Merlin asked, the nerves returning to his voice once again.

"How about agreeing to dine with me in the evenings? I would like to hear more about you. I have missed out on so much of your life, and I would remedy that if I could."

"Alright." Merlin agreed, albeit with a shaky tone to his voice. Uther counted it as a victory, and he smiled softly at his son.

"Good. Well, off with you then. I'm sure Arthur has already prepared your rooms, and fittings with the tailor, and tutors for you to start meeting. You'll have a busy next few weeks, I'm sure." Merlin rose to his feet and managed a small smile Uther's way.

As Merlin turned to leave, he paused suddenly.

"If I were to do magic right now, what would you do?" Merlin asked without facing him. "Arthur said you accepted me, and I know you say you want to change things where magic is concerned, but I want to know." He turned his head to look at Uther expectantly, worry clear in his eyes.

"Merlin, I've accepted you, surely you must believe that." Uther replied, pushing down the nausea he felt at hearing his son talk so flippantly about performing magic. "And I will lessen the restrictions on magic users, as I said." Uther took a deep breath. "But I would rather you keep your abilities to yourself. I would rather not see them."

Uther knew immediately that was the wrong thing to say to his son, as Merlin's hopeful face fell and he looked exceedingly miserable and sad. He nodded curtly and quickly left the room with only a small "Sire" in lieu of a farewell.

Uther rubbed his temples, and leaned back into his bed, feeling exhausted. It would seem that he had a lot to think about where Merlin was concerned.

Unsure of how to puzzle out his son that he still knew so little about, he turned instead back to the paperwork on his bed. He picked his quill up once again and tried to convince himself as he worked that these efforts were enough. Surely, Merlin would come to see that in time.

...

Merlin exited his father's room as quickly as possible and rushed down the hall before secluding himself in one of the many alcoves in the castle.

He wasn't sure what to feel. The meeting with Uther was far from what he'd expected it to be. If anything, it went better than he had expected! But he still felt torn.

Some part of him, however small, had hoped that his father would accept all of him. That once they began to talk he'd see the folly of his magic-hating ways, and the ban would be revoked, and everything would be okay.

Merlin let out a bitter laugh. Of course, that had been wishful thinking on his part. There was no chance that someone as set in their ways as Uther Pendragon would change that easily, not even for his own son. He'd have to content himself with the fact that he was willing to lessen the restrictions at all and wait patiently for the time when Arthur would be king, and magic would be truly free once more.

Although, Merlin thought reluctantly to himself, Uther did seem to care for him in his own way. He'd apologized, something that had shocked Merlin completely, and he'd wanted to get to know him and recognize him publically as his own son.

It was all too confusing. Merlin's head hurt already from trying to consolidate the two sides of his newfound father in his head.

He stood to his feet. He'd think about this later. Right now, he needed to find Arthur before he assigned him a bootlicking servant and commissioned him some new version of that dreadful feathery hat to make his life more miserable than it already was.


	8. Preparations

Author's Note: Sorry this update has taken so long! I've been spending almost all of my free time writing a massive biography paper for one of my upper-level history classes at University... It's almost done now though, and the next big paper isn't due for quite some time. So hopefully I'll have more time to work on updates now! But as it is, I'm uploading this chapter even though it's a lot shorter than normal. I didn't want to keep all of you waiting forever.

Also, I'm introducing some very, very minor hints towards the pairing Arthur/Gwen, since it is canon. However, it's really just hinted at, and most definitely not the focus of this story. Pairings/romance aren't really my thing guys, but I felt like I wanted to at least put a hint of it in there for authenticity.

...

Morgana had been practically overcome by her own emotions as of late. It was a new experience, as she'd always prided herself on being cool and collected. It was comparable to how she'd felt after one of her nightmares, only now it was almost a constant state of being instead of isolated incidents.

Sometimes, it would be positive emotions that would overcome her, and she'd suddenly be so happy and grateful to finally be home after so long of wondering if she would ever be free. But other times it would be a great sorrow instead, and she would be so sad that she had been away from her home for so long, and that she'd missed so many important moments in the lives of those she cared about.

And yet at other times, she was overcome with anger at her situation. Anger towards Morgause for what she'd done to her, anger towards Uther for his hypocrisy and lies, and anger towards Merlin for his betrayal. It was all a bit much for her, and she often found herself weary at the end of the day from the vertigo of trying to keep up with all of her swirling emotions.

To combat her new tumultuous emotional state she'd taken to creating small rituals for herself, in order to return to some small sense of normality. Things such as eating her meals with Gwen whenever possible, being particular about certain aspects of her appearance, and other small things. Which was why she found herself sitting in front of her mirror at the moment, counting to one hundred as she carefully dragged a brush through her long hair.

She'd cared about her appearance before her captivity of course, but it had been because she had grown up doing so. As a lady of the court, it had been expected of her to look and act a certain way. And it had been something that her mother had taught her to do. Now, however, her appearance had taken on another meaning. Now, taking methodical care of how she presented herself gave her something she could control, a distraction of sorts, as well as a feeling of normality that she'd been lacking.

She paused for a moment, her hand stopping mid-brushstroke, and she looked at herself intently in the mirror, studying her appearance.

The dark circles under her eyes were beginning to fade, although she could tell it would be a while before they disappeared completely. Her cheekbones were much more pronounced than they had once been, due to the lack of proper meals, and her skin was even paler than snow due to the months spent locked inside, unable to see the sun.

She sighed and shook her head. It was no use dwelling on the parts of herself that had changed. The only thing to do now was to heal and move on the best she could.

She heard a knock on her door. It must be Gwen arriving with lunch.

"Come in!" She called dismissively, returning to brushing her hair.

"I hope I'm not intruding." Morgana heard a male voice speaking behind her, causing her to quickly move her head to see Arthur entering her room.

"Oh, I thought you might be Gwen." Morgana replied, confusion sinking into her voice. She set her brush down and rose to greet him. "I wasn't expecting you to visit today."

"I know, but I had some news I needed to share with you." Arthur replied. He looked happy and lighter than he had yesterday, and a slight smile was on his face.

"Oh, and what would that be?" She asked as they both moved to sit down at the table.

"Father has awoken." Morgana felt her heart sink as the familiar mess of feelings began to overwhelm her once more, and she sat down heavily on one of the chairs.

"He has? And how is he feeling?" She tried to keep her voice light, and free of the malice she felt, for Arthur's sake, but she could tell by the way his smile became strained that she hadn't been successful.

"He's quite weak, but alert." Arthur let out a tired sigh. "Although Gaius says there's not much chance of him making a complete recovery." Morgana tried to school her features, trying desperately not to let her face show how relieved she was to hear that Uther wasn't well. She knew she was failing, but thankfully Arthur was deep in thought, and wasn't paying much attention to her.

"He wants me to take on the role of regent." Arthur finally admitted, his voice quiet and unsure.

"What?" Morgana asked, startled. "Are you sure he's mentally sound? Uther would never-"

"He understands that he's most likely not going to get any better, Morgana. I think that's a major part of it. Well, that and the fact that he's just been so, well, for a lack of a better term, tired, since your disappearance. I think it's all just taken too much of a toll on him." Arthur's eyes were sorrowful.

"Did you know, he's even going to remove some of the restrictions on magic users voluntarily." Arthur turned his attention towards her then, looking intently at her in a way that made her skin crawl somewhat. Her eyebrows rose in disbelief. "It's true, Morgana, I swear it. He's not going to completely remove the ban, but I think the fact that he's even considering any changes where magic is concerned shows that he's not the same man he once was."

Morgana felt shocked, but she refused to let herself hope that this could lead to anything substantial. She knew Uther would never truly change.

"But none of that is the reason why I came to see you today." Arthur shook his head, seemingly shaking off his thoughts. "He wants to see you, Morgana."

She felt a disgusted snort leave her before she could even think of stopping it. Her hand flew to cover her mouth in vain, as she attempted to cover up the sound.

"I know you don't want to talk to him, and that you probably can't stand the sight of him right now." Arthur replied. "I understand. But please, he's so sad and tired. He's not the man he was before you disappeared, Morgana. And it would mean so much to him if you would simply visit with him. Even if it's just for a few minutes."

Morgana scowled, looking intently at the table and away from Arthur's pleading gaze. "I don't think I can do that, Arthur. I'm still so very angry at him."

"I know, Morgana. But please, couldn't you simply attempt to patch things up? Even if you finish the visit as angry as you were before, at least you would have the satisfaction in knowing you at least tried to make things work."

Morgana sighed, raising her gaze to look at Arthur.

His eyes were wide, and she felt her resolve begin to cave under his pleading gaze. She let out a small huff and grimaced.

"Alright, I'll talk to him."

"Thank you, Morgana!" Arthur began, grabbing her hands and a large smile spreading across his face.

"But I'm not doing this for him." She admitted truthfully. "I'm doing it for you, and that will have to be enough for now."

"I wouldn't ask for more of you." Arthur replied. He surprised her with his honest acceptance of her feelings more and more each day. But it was a pleasant sort of surprise that left her hoping that everything really would work itself out someday. She leaned forward and kissed him affectionately on the cheek to show her appreciation.

"If you do become regent, I want you to know that I'm always here to help out when you need me, Arthur." She reminded him firmly. "Especially where magic is concerned." She gave him a pointed look.

"I appreciate it, Morgana, truly. And the moment I'm able to change anything more where magic is concerned, you can be assured that you will be one of the first people I come to for advice and assistance." He smiled at her, let go of her hands, and stood to his feet.

"I should go now." He informed her. "There are a lot of preparations I need to begin working on."

He walked towards the door, opening it just in time to see a startled Gwen on the other side holding a tray of food.

He acknowledged her warmly, with a bright smile and an open countenance so unlike Morgana had ever seen him. He was certainly growing up.

Gwen, for her part, blushed profusely through her own greeting, and her eyes lingered on him a little too long. Interesting. Morgana would have to have a conversation about that with her later. And maybe Arthur as well.

"W-what did the Prince want, my lady?" Gwen asked as she lay the meal on the table, the blush still bright on her cheeks.

"He simply wanted to update me on some things. I'll tell you over lunch."

Gwen smiled and nodded. They sat together at the table, both enjoying their meal together. And for the first time in a long time, Morgana felt hope again.

...

Merlin had no sooner walked out of Uther's rooms and down the hall when he ran into Arthur. Now, granted, it was his fault for being distracted, but really, he doubted anyone could blame him after a day like this.

Arthur let out a surprised sound as they bumped into each other, and Merlin felt his feet slip out from underneath him. He prepared himself for impact with the floor as he lost his balance, but before he could hit the ground Arthur caught him and pulled him back onto his feet.

"Honestly, Merlin. You really should watch where you're going." Arthur sighed, seemingly equal parts amused and annoyed.

"Sorry." Merlin mumbled in embarrassment, his hands fiddling with the bottom of his tunic.

"Have you visited Father yet?" Arthur asked suddenly, causing Merlin to jolt slightly at the memory of that conversation.

"Yes." He replied, trying and failing to keep his tone neutral.

"I assume from your face that it didn't go as well as you had hoped?" Arthur guessed, his voice sympathetic and soft. Merlin couldn't find the words to answer him, so he simply nodded instead, keeping his eyes locked on the ground. "Was it better than you had expected it to be though?"

"I suppose." Merlin shrugged. "At least he didn't cut my head off."

Arthur let out a strangled noise as he tried and failed to suppress his laughter. Merlin allowed himself a small smirk, and that set Arthur off laughing, which in turn made Merlin chuckle as well. It was slightly surreal to be laughing with Arthur in the hallway about Uther knowing about his magic. But really, all of his life had been surreal lately.

"Well, I could have told you that wouldn't have happened." Arthur said once he'd stopped laughing. "But honestly Merlin, are you alright? I know this situation hasn't been ideal."

"I'm fine." He replied. "A little disappointed, but fine. I should have expected it really." He shrugged again.

"Well, as long as you're sure you're alright."

"I am."

"Good." Arthur nodded. "Because we've got a lot of work to do."

"We do?" Merlin asked nervously. He had honestly been hoping to hide in his chambers for the rest of the day and forget about all of this for a time.

"Quite." Arthur responded, suddenly serious and determined and using what Merlin liked to call his "princely voice". "Moving you into your new rooms will be the first thing we do. We also have quite a few people to talk to before the day is up. The tailor will be one of the first, of course. We need to get you out of those rags and into something more suitable for your new status. Then we'll need to talk to Geoffrey about your coronation, and then see about getting a crown made and-Merlin, are you feeling alright?" Arthur paused and looked intently at Merlin.

Merlin had felt himself grow lightheaded as Arthur talked, and it must have shown. He swallowed the nervousness that had settled in his throat and tried to steady himself.

"It's just, a coronation? Already? Couldn't we wait a while, or just not have one and make a proclamation instead, or-"

"Merlin, we can't simply avoid your coronation. It's a necessary part of you being a prince."

"But-"

"Merlin." Arthur drawled. There was an air of absolute finality to his tone, and it caused Merlin to snap his mouth shut abruptly.

"Sorry." Merlin mumbled.

Arthur sighed. "Things are going to have to change, Merlin. It can't be helped."

"I know," Merlin nodded in resignation. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"No, I suppose not." Arthur smiled slightly. "But you have to try to accept it, at least."

"Yeah, I'll try." He responded with a sigh. "Can we at least try to get this done as soon as possible? I'd like to get it over with so that I can visit with my mother."

"That sounds reasonable enough to me." Arthur replied, and he began to walk down the hallway, gesturing with a hand for Merlin to follow. Merlin allowed himself to fall into step beside Arthur, feeling surreal yet again that he was allowed to walk next to Arthur now, as an equal.

Of course, Arthur would shatter his reflective mood by opening his mouth.

"You know, I think we should make up for all those years you lived as a peasant with something special. Maybe an ornate crown, with lots of jewels and ostentatious details. Oh, and a wardrobe to match. I'm thinking robes, and maybe another hat, and-"

Merlin whispered a few words under his breath, and Arthur suddenly found himself stumbling on air.

Arthur let out a shocked gasp and yelled out Merlin's name indignantly, but Merlin simply smirked and kept on walking.

At least there was one positive thing about this whole situation. He really could easily get used to being on equal ground with Arthur.


	9. The Coronation

Author's Note: Thank you for all of the wonderful new reviews, and for sticking with me through these inconsistent updates! Unfortunately, not only has schoolwork been sucking up all my time, but my laptop decided to die on me and it took over a week to get it repaired. But, it's back to normal now, so hopefully I'll be able to power through and bring this story to a close at a reasonable rate!

(Also, I'm uploading a bit of a shorter chapter this time just to get something out there so ya'll know I haven't abandoned this story. I have everything entirely planned out to the very end, so believe me, I am going to finish this story if it's the last thing I do! It may just take me a while to get there. I think it will be around 2 or so more chapters though. But we shall see!)

...

Merlin's coronation had been a fairly short ceremony, which had pleased Merlin so much that Arthur was afraid he might cry just from the sheer relief. Although, unbeknownst to Merlin, it was more for their father's sake than his. The king was still very weak and recovering slowly, and Arthur knew he wouldn't be able to make it through a longer ceremony but that he was too stubborn to miss it entirely, and so a compromise had been made. But Arthur also knew that Merlin probably wouldn't be able to handle an ostentatious coronation anyways, so it was the best decision for everyone involved.

Arthur had made certain to keep things as simple an affair as tradition would allow, hoping that would also help to soothe Merlin's nerves. But it was still required of Merlin to dress in the style of the court, something he detested greatly and continuously complained about right up until the doors of the throne room opened and the ceremony began. Somehow, much to Arthur's sheer relief, Merlin had managed not to trip as he walked down the aisle in his new clothing, even as the customary red cloak of Camelot swirled behind him quite dramatically.

Arthur had to admit that royalty suited Merlin far more than he'd expected. He cleaned up quite nicely, and if he hadn't known Merlin before all of this happened, it would be easy to assume he'd always been this way. Except for the fact that he looked like a startled stoat throughout the whole ceremony, despite the collective efforts of Arthur, Gaius, Hunith, all of their friends, and even Uther at one point, attempting to soothe his nerves. Even Morgana had looked at him with some concern, before masking it with her customary icy glare.

Despite his nervousness, Merlin managed to recite the words necessary for the ceremony to be complete, and he managed to keep the simple cornet he was crowned with on his head without it slipping off. Then, in no time at all, Merlin was standing in front of a crowd who were chanting "long live the Prince" loudly.

After the conclusion of the ceremony, the entire group, save Uther who returned to his chambers to rest, moved into the dining hall for a feast. Although Arthur had been able to keep the coronation fairly simple, he'd been unable to convince the staff and the cook to make the feast simple as well, and Arthur could tell by Merlin's widening eyes and small gasp that he was slightly overwhelmed by the fact that the whole ordeal was all for his sake. He'd have to learn to deal with it though, because the kitchen staff, and all of the servants really, were extremely pleased to see Merlin moving up in society. He'd heard servants whisper about how excited they were in every corridor since Merlin's parentage had been announced to the kingdom, and their enthusiasm at his rise in status had been extended to their efforts in preparing the feast. Apparently, Merlin had made a lot of friends since he'd arrived at Camelot.

Unfortunately, while the servants and peasants seemed to be excited about Merlin's coronation, Arthur couldn't say the same about the majority of the nobles in Camelot. They'd not said anything against Merlin out loud as of yet, at least not to his face, but their undisguised looks of disgust and sneers whenever Merlin walked by hadn't escaped Arthur's notice. They'd seemed to like him well enough when he was a servant, well, most had, so Arthur was confused why they were suddenly so hostile to him now. However, he was hopeful that they would warm up to the idea of Merlin as their Prince in time, as he had.

As they sat down and servants started pouring the wine and serving the food, Arthur snuck a look at Merlin who was sitting next to him, and who had engaged himself in a conversation with Gwaine. He was laughing at whatever ridiculous story Gwaine was telling, but Arthur could tell he wasn't as calm as he appeared. When Merlin's laughter died off, and he turned his attention to the food now on his plate, Arthur took the opportunity to pull him into a conversation, hoping to soothe his nerves enough to get them through the banquet.

"The cooks really outdid themselves this time, didn't they?" Arthur asked Merlin.

"Yeah." Merlin responded quietly with a small nod of his head. "Although I wish they wouldn't have." He added with a mumble. Arthur rolled his eyes but decided not to comment. They'd already bickered about this enough already.

"I'm impressed you haven't tripped on your cloak yet or spilled your wine on someone." Arthur teased, and Merlin scowled lightly at him in response.

"Watch it, or you might just find yourself mysteriously tripping over nothing when you least expect it." Merlin responded cooly, taking a sip of his wine, and Arthur let out a small laugh as he took a small sip of his own.

"Arthur, I've been meaning to ask, but what exactly am I going to do now that I'm a prince?" Merlin asked suddenly, as he turned his nervous gaze downwards to where his fingers were fiddling with his goblet. "I know I'll have to learn from all of those tutors, whether I like it or not, but what else am I meant to do? I'm not exactly good at anything that's useful to the kingdom right now, except, well, you know. But since I can't use that, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to contribute to the wellbeing of Camelot."

"Well, you'll mostly be learning more about what it takes to be royalty for now. But later on, well, I had something in mind." He cleared his throat nervously.

"What exactly did you have in mind?" Merlin asked curiously.

"Well, there will be a position opening up, as soon as I'm king. A position that is going to take a special sort of person, with a special set of skills, to fill. And I thought that you might be interested in it?"

"What position?" Merlin asked, as oblivious to Arthur's subtlety as always.

"A certain position that has been left unfulfilled for many years. A position that has been made, shall we say, illegal to fill?" Merlin's eyes went wide in recognition.

"You mean Court Sorcerer?" He whispered quietly to Arthur with wide eyes. Arthur nodded his head and smiled reassuringly. "But, are you sure? I mean that would require changing the laws and-"

"Merlin, you didn't think I would allow you to live in the shadows forever, did you?" Arthur asked, slightly offended that Merlin would think even for a second that he wouldn't have immediately removed the ban once he was king.

"Well, I guess I didn't really think about it at all." Merlin responded honestly. "There have just been so many other things I've had on my mind."

Arthur rolled his eyes yet again. Only Merlin would fixate on everything but the issue most important to his very existence.

"Well, what do you say?" Arthur pressed. "I know that position isn't going to open up for quite a while, but we'll find something else for you to do in the meantime, I'm sure."

"I appreciate the offer, but I don't think I'd be a good fit." Merlin answered, surprising Arthur.

"And why not?" Arthur asked, thoroughly confused.

"I'm already out of place enough as is. You'll need someone who has the, uh, talents, for that position of course, but you'll also need someone who understands the inner workings of the court." Merlin looked up at him, and Arthur could tell this was something he felt strongly about. "I have the talents, but I don't know anything about being royalty. I'm already worried I'm going to mess up something as simple as sitting at a feast like this. Can you imagine what I might do in a position as important as that?" Merlin shivered slightly at the thought and shook his head. "No, it'd be better to have someone who understands both sides." He concluded.

"I suppose you have a point." Arthur admitted reluctantly. "But are you sure you won't consider it?"

"I'll think about it, I suppose." Merlin replied slowly.

"I think that once you become more comfortable with things, then you'll change your mind." Arthur responded with a reassuring smile.

Merlin's only response was a small, insincere smile and a shrug.

"Until then, I have another position in mind for you. One that I think you'll find you're already a natural at."

Merlin quirked an eyebrow his way but didn't speak.

"I was thinking the position of advisor to the Prince would suit you well. It's customary for siblings of the crown prince anyways, and you're a natural at running your mouth and speaking your mind, even when it isn't wanted." He teased Merlin lightly with a smile.

"Yeah, I guess I might be good at that." Merlin smiled softly, but it still didn't reach his eyes.

"I also thought you might be able to advise me on how to change certain laws."

Merlin's eyes grew wide. "But surely you would want someone who knew more about the laws to help you with something as important as that!"

"You won't be the only one advising me, Merlin." Arthur sighed dramatically to tease him. "But you do know quite a lot about the types of threats we'll face, and what we need to protect us from them. And it's something you have experience with."

"Well, I would be better at that I suppose." Merlin frowned, thinking once again, but this time his face smoothed out and he responded positively. "Alright, I accept."

"Good!" Arthur replied with a smile and clapped his hand on Merlin's shoulder happily before letting his focus return to observing the feast.

...

As the night wore on, Arthur kept an eye on Merlin, even as he chatted with various knights and nobles around him. Throughout the evening, Merlin sunk more and more into himself, his eyes growing sorrowful, making Arthur more worried then he'd like to admit. So as soon as was appropriate, Arthur excused himself and Merlin for the evening, and he dragged his brother out of the room.

"Where are we going?" Merlin asked in an annoyed voice as he attempted to shake his arm out of Arthur's grip.

"Somewhere where we can speak in private." Arthur responded quickly, not loosening his grip in the slightest.

"Haven't we had enough heart to heart talks these past few days." Merlin protested half-heartedly.

"Certainly. But it would seem that you are more high maintenance than I'd realized, and we need to have yet another talk."

Thankfully, Merlin stopped protesting after that, and Arthur was able to drag him quickly and quietly up to the one place where he knew they wouldn't be bothered.

"The battlements?" Merlin questioned him as they stepped out into the crisp night air.

"Do you have a better idea?" Arthur turned towards him to ask.

"No, not really." Merlin shrugged. It seemed the fight had left him and his eyes looked sad. Noticing Arthur's attention had turned towards him, Merlin attempted to straighten up and act as if he was fine.

"Merlin, what's been bothering you tonight?" Arthur asked. "Other than what I already know about, of course."

"I was just-" He paused and sighed. "I was just thinking of all of the people that I've lost. And how I wish they were here. That's all." He ended his sentence with a shrug and a half smile, attempting to end the conversation there, but Arthur was undeterred.

"And who would these aforementioned people be?" Arthur pressed, pulling Merlin to sit down on one of the battlement walls overlooking the city beneath them. "Is it people from back in Ealdor? Like Will?"

Merlin seemed to be startled by his response and looked at Arthur in equal parts confusion and surprise.

"What?" Arthur asked, afraid he'd said something wrong.

"It's just, I didn't think you'd remember him. Will, that is." Merlin clarified.

"Of course I remember him. He gave his life for mine. I'm not likely to forget such a noble sacrifice." Arthur said as he sat down beside Merlin on the battlement.

"He didn't exactly give his life for you." Merlin said softly. "Well, I mean, he did." Merlin added when he saw Arthur's confusion. "But he really did it for me. To protect me and keep my magic a secret. He didn't actually have magic, you know. He just lied to protect me. He was a good friend like that. The best."

Arthur nodded, and then sat quietly for a moment, unsure of how to respond. Then, suddenly, he remembered something.

"Merlin, who was the woman at the lake?" He asked curiously, hoping to lighten the conversation. "I kept forgetting to ask you how you knew she would be there to help you retrieve the sword."

"Her name was Freya." Merlin responded quietly. "And, a long time ago, I loved her."

Instead of alleviating Merlin's melancholy mood, bringing up this woman seemed to worsen it. Merlin's small smile fell into a frown, and if anything he seemed even sadder.

"Tell me about her?" Arthur asked quietly, moving to bump his shoulder lightly against Merlin's.

Merlin smirked slightly as he looked at Arthur, but his mouth quickly returned to a frown and he stubbornly looked away from Arthur's gaze and onto the city beneath them.

"It's a long story." He answered sadly.

"I have time." He responded, settling in and preparing himself to listen.

Arthur was prepared to sit here for as long as it took for Merlin to smile again. He'd sit here until sunrise if he had to. For as long as it took to assure that Merlin's secrets were no longer secrets and that he knew he was no longer alone.

"Well, it all started when the bounty hunter came to Camelot." Merlin began.


	10. Reconciliation

Author's note: I have no excuse for the late chapter this time. I've just been super lazy since summer break started, and a bit burnt out when it comes to writing, so I've been super unproductive. But anyway, here's a new chapter for you all. For all of the angst I've put you (and Merlin) through, I promise this chapter will be more hopeful and bring about some much-anticipated reconciliation.

...

"Arthur, I know you feel guilty, but please." Merlin exclaimed firmly with an exasperated sigh. "I already told you I'm fine."

Arthur had cornered him in his chambers yet again in an attempt to give him gifts, of all things, to attempt to make amends of sorts. At first, Merlin had allowed it. Though he had no want or need for gifts of any sort, he realized it was Arthur's own way of trying to gain his forgiveness. Even though Merlin had never held Arthur responsible for Freya's death despite the role he had played in it, he could understand how Arthur felt. However, after he had assured Arthur multiple times that they were fine, and that he was forgiven, the absurd amount of useless gifts were beginning to be a bit ridiculous.

"I just thought that maybe you'd like to have a-" Arthur began to speak, but Merlin interrupted him.

"Arthur. This is a very nice sword, I'm sure. It's very, er, pointy. And while I appreciate the gesture, I already have a sword, which I am useless at using as you keep reminding me at every one of our ridiculous training sessions, so, no, I do not need another one."

"I was just-"

"It's fine." Merlin assured him earnestly, leaning forward to push the offered sword back towards Arthur. "We're fine. I've told you that plenty of times. And I appreciate that you want to soothe your misplaced guilt in some way, but, eventually, you're going to have to stop giving me things before my chambers are so crowded that I can't find room to live in them." Merlin leaned back in his chair with a huff and rubbed his temples in exhaustion.

"If you're sure." Arthur said cautiously, placing the sword on the table and sitting down in a chair across from Merlin.

Merlin nodded emphatically. "If you really want to 'make up' for something, you could finish my studies for me." He offered with a small smirk.

"Not a chance!" Arthur laughed lightly, seemingly breathing a little easier. "If I had to suffer through my own studies as a boy, then its only fair that you do as well."

"Fair enough." Merlin replied with a smirk. "Now, did you just come here to try and give me that sword, or did you need something else?"

"Well, you have missed the start of training with the knights." Arthur said slowly, fixing him with a mock glare.

"What?" Merlin asked in alarm, bolting out of his chair and rushing to look out the window. "Has it gotten that late already." He let out an involuntary groan.

"Well, they'll be almost halfway through training by now, and I daresay Leon will be annoyed with the both of us. But seeing as you've been so dedicated to your studies, and you've made such great progress, I really didn't want to bother you." Arthur said with a shrug.

"I'd rather you bother me than facing Leon's disappointed stare." Merlin grumbled as he rushed around the room, clumsily grabbing all of his training equipment and putting it on. "I swear, he's mastered that look. It's honestly a little frightening. He looks like I've murdered his entire family any time I let him down. How am I supposed to deal with that?"

Arthur rolled his eyes playfully as he watched Merlin struggle to pull on one of his training vambraces. "Well, as long as we're there for most of it, I'm sure his stare won't last for too long. Afterall, I'm the one who has to teach you, not him."

"All the same, let's hurry. The sooner I get done with this, the better." He huffed as he began to lead Arthur out of the room, and down to the training fields. Arthur simply laughed and followed right behind him.

...

Despite their late start, the two had made it to the fields in record time, and, after receiving a surprisingly short reprimand from Leon, had begun to practice.

That is to say, Merlin was attempting to practice simple sword fighting concepts, and Arthur was attempting to be a patient teacher. Arthur got most of his training in nowadays during the morning drills and spent the shorter, evening times attempting to instruct Merlin to the best of his abilities. Surprisingly, Merlin had found that Arthur was almost as good at instructing as he was at actually using his sword. However, that didn't help much when Merlin was absolutely hopeless at any kind of weaponry.

"I suppose we should work on your horrendous footwork again today." Arthur said flippantly. "We're not going to progress any further until you improve it."

Merlin grimaced but nodded. He knew his footwork was horrible, but it seemed no matter how hard, nor how often he tried, he never seemed to improve.

"Ready? Begin!" Arthur called out as he began working him rapidly through the paces.

Merlin tried desperately not to stumble as he usually did, and his concentration lasted for all of one glorious minute, before one of the knights suddenly rushed towards them, startling him and causing him to trip and fall.

"Sire, I'm so sorry!" The knight, whose name Merlin did not know, hurried to apologize. Arthur, the prat, laughed loudly, but he did reach down to help Merlin stand.

"It's fine." Merlin assured the flustered knight. "It's not like it wouldn't have happened at some point anyway." He added to himself.

"What is it you needed, Sir Radnor?" Arthur asked the nervous looking knight.

"You're both needed in the throne room immediately, sires. A sorceress has been caught in the lower town." Sir Radnor replied, causing Merlin to freeze. A quick glance towards Arthur found him looking worried as well.

Without a word to either Sir Radnor or Merlin, Arthur turned and began walking quickly towards the armory. Merlin followed behind him at a jog to keep up with his rapid pace, leaving Sir Radnor behind on the training field.

As soon as they entered the armory, Arthur began to carelessly remove his armor with an almost angry air about him. Merlin followed suit and began taking off his own training gear.

"Arthur, are you alright?" Merlin asked cautiously, wary of Arthur's temper as always.

"Am I alright?" He scoffed bitterly, turning to face Merlin. "I think I should be asking that of you."

"Me?" Merlin answered, with a confused scowl, as Arthur turned his attention back to removing his gear.

"I thought Father was serious about making you feel welcome here. But apparently not." He answered bitterly, as he threw a gauntlet carelessly to the ground.

"We don't know that." Merlin protested as they both took off the last of their armor. "Maybe she attacked someone or did something else that actually should be illegal? Maybe it's not about the magic?"

"Let's hope that is the case." Arthur replied shortly, gesturing for Merlin to follow him out of the armory and towards the throne room.

...

Merlin winced as Arthur threw open the doors to the throne room with a bang, startling everyone inside.

As they walked to the front of the room where Uther sat on his throne, Merlin noticed that quite a sizeable crowd of nobles and servants had gathered in a sort of circle around the room. Although they parted slightly to allow Arthur and Merlin through, they remained crowded around someone that Merlin couldn't see.

That was until they reached Uther, and Merlin turned around to see a small girl, no older than five summers, sitting on the floor with tear tracks on her face. She looked fearfully between the king and the two nervous looking guards standing next to her, clutching a small doll to her chest tightly.

Merlin knew when Arthur had noticed the girl, because he let out a strangled, angry gasp, and Merlin saw him cast an angry glare at Uther.

"Well, what on earth is this all about?" Uther asked the two guards, sounding more tired than Merlin had heard him in weeks.

"This child is a sorceress, my Lord." One of the guards answered nervously.

"A sorceress?" Arthur scoffed. "She's a mere child!"

"Peace, Arthur." Uther said softly, his gaze never leaving the child still shivering on the floor. "Who is condemning this child? What proof is there of her guilt?"

The crowd began to murmur quietly, and a lone man walked to the front of the room. Merlin recognized him. He was a merchant from the lower town and a staunch supporter of Uther's harsh stance on magic.

"I saw her levitating that doll with my own eyes, sire!" He exclaimed with a sneer. "Imagine, a child so young corrupted by magic. Disgusting." He shook his head in mock sympathy, but the sneer on his face and the glint in his eye made him less than believable.

Merlin turned to look at Uther, worried about what he would do. The fact that someone had seen the child using magic meant that she was as good as dead. Merlin braced himself for the inevitable verdict, his mind already planning ways to protect her if he could.

"And has anyone else seen this child perform magic?" Uther addressed the crowd once again, his eyes scanning all in attendance, but no one else spoke. Then, Uther turned his gaze to the merchant. "Have you seen this child do any other act of magic?"

"No sire. But the fact that she could lift the doll with magic proves she is a Sorceress without a doubt." He answered with a smug smile.

"I see." Uther replied, sitting back in the chair heavily. This was it, Merlin knew. Uther would sign the girl's death warrant with whatever he said next.

"Based on the evidence presented, I declare this child guilty of the crime of sorcery. Bring her forward."

The crowd was silent as the guards led the now crying child forward towards Uther. He leaned forward in his throne as she approached, but much to Merlin's surprise, his face seemed to soften as he looked at her.

"What is your name, child?" He asked softly, causing the crowd to murmur lightly in confusion.

"H-Hildred, sire." She stuttered, clutching her doll so tightly to her chest that her fingers were white.

"Is this the first time you've used magic, Hildred?"

"Y-yes." She nodded frantically.

"Has anyone taught you magic? Your parents, perhaps?"

"No, sire!" She protested. "No one. I just, I wanted my doll that was across the room, and it floated, up in the air. All by itself. I didn't mean to do it, I promise!"

"Well, in that case, I think what needs to be done is clear." Uther sat up, looking out at the crowd. "I declare this child to be pardoned of her acts of sorcery, and returned home to her parents immediately." Merlin felt his jaw drop, and he heard Arthur stifle a gasp beside him, along with many others in the crowd.

"But, Sire!" The merchant protested in shock.

"My word is final. You are all dismissed. Immediately!" Uther bellowed, looking every bit the strong king he hadn't been in months, and yet, he seemed so very different from the man Merlin had known him to be.

The crowd started to shuffle out, and one of the guards, who Merlin saw looked suspiciously relieved, picked up the girl and began to comfort her as he led her back to her home.

Merlin felt numb. He almost wondered if he had imagined what had just happened. Uther couldn't actually have pardoned a known magic user, could he?

"Father, I-" Merlin turned his head as Arthur stumbled through his words, attempting to speak.

"Arthur, whatever discussion you want to have, it will have to wait until later." Uther slid down into the throne wearily. "I'm exhausted, and I need to retire to my chambers."

"Of course, Father." Arthur replied, still in shock.

"And before we have that talk, I need you to summon Geoffrey. I need to sign a declaration."

"A declaration?" Arthur asked.

"Yes." Uther turned to look seriously at his son. "I'm officially enstating you as regent, with full control over all aspects of running Camelot."

"Father-!"

"There will be no more discussing this, Arthur. It cannot wait any longer. I am not getting better, but worse. If I cannot sit through one trial after weeks of bed rest without feeling completely drained, then I cannot lead this kingdom the way it needs to be led."

Arthur's only response was to nod shakily and mumble something about fetching Geoffrey before fleeing the room, leaving Merlin and Uther alone.

"Merlin, you are dismissed as well." Uther said softly, startling Merlin out of his frozen state. "I'm sure you'd like to rest before dinner tonight."

"Dinner?" Merlin managed to choke out eventually.

"Yes. Dinner, tonight. Please tell me Arthur informed you." He sighed and rubbed the side of his head irritatedly.

"Uh, he must have, forgotten?"

"Very well. Dinner tonight will be in the small hall. You, Arthur, and Morgana are expected to attend, of course. I'm also expecting Hunith and Gaius to attend as well."

"Wait, you invited mother to dinner?" Merlin spat out before he could stop himself.

Uther simply raised an eyebrow at him, as if he had asked something idiotic.

"Er, I mean, of course. I'll be there. For dinner. Sire." He bowed awkwardly and backed towards the doors.

Much to Merlin's surprise, as he turned to leave, and stumbled slightly in the process, Uther let out a small, genuine laugh.

Merlin paused for a few seconds at the door and turned back towards Uther. "Thank you, Father." He mumbled softly but sincerely, hoping Uther would understand how much it meant to him that Uther hadn't hurt the child. By the nod he received in return, he thought the message had been understood.

...

Despite her deep hatred for Uther, Morgana had managed to put aside her feelings enough to tolerate being in Uther's presence most days. And as long as he didn't start talking about magic, she was usually able to maintain a neutral countenance in his presence. Tonight, she wasn't struggling as much to not sneer and snap at him, despite the fact that they were sitting at the same table and eating a proper meal together for the first time since she had returned home. Of course, she'd talked to him before this, although briefly and at Arthur's behest, but this was the first time she had to spend an extended period of time in his presence. It certainly helped soothe her emotions to hear what he'd done this morning for the little girl accused of sorcery, and the apology he'd given her when they'd talked hadn't hurt, even though it was stilted and she knew he most likely wasn't truly sorry. It didn't dissolve him of his many sins by any means, although it did help soothe the raging emotions she often felt when in his presence and allowed her to stay calm.

However, what peace she'd gained in Uther's presence was made void by the fact that she had to deal with Merlin.

Morgana took a sip of her wine bitterly at the thought of her newly discovered half-brother, sending a fierce glare towards the place where Merlin sat next to Gaius, and, surprisingly, Hunith, whom Uther had invited to dine with them in a move that was so unpredictable, Morgana had to pinch her self to make sure this wasn't some rage induced hallucination.

Supposedly, according to Arthur, Uther had been inviting Hunith to dine with him privately quite often, in an attempt to learn more about Merlin. And from the way that Uther was entertaining a conversation with the woman, she could only believe that to be true. In fact, Hunith looked almost, dare she say it, comfortable, talking with the tyrant.

Merlin also looked much more comfortable with Uther than she had remembered as well. She wondered what had changed where that relationship was concerned. She supposed that this morning's events had most likely convinced Merlin his father wasn't the murdering tyrant he actually was. Her glare hardened towards Merlin at that thought. He noticed, and his semi-peaceful expression morphed into a frown, and his gaze suddenly became fixed on his plate.

At that moment, her attention was drawn away from glaring Merlin into oblivion, as Uther attempted to draw her into a conversation and she was forced to plaster a fake, cordial smile on her face, and nod and agree at all the right places. Thankfully, the topic was tame and completely void of anything to do with magic, so she was able to do so with very little effort.

It was only after the final course was served, and Uther had turned his attention to Gaius and Hunith, that Merlin stood up. He seemed to be upset and trying to mask the fact, and he excused himself quietly. It was a bit earlier than proper protocol would allow, but Uther seemed to not notice, and instead bid his son a surprisingly fond farewell with a small smile.

Morgana watched shrewdly as Merlin quickly exited the room, not missing the quick, distressed glance he shot her way as he passed. She snorted derisively and took another sip of her wine. Good riddance.

"Morgana." She jumped a bit in her chair, startled, as Arthur softly called her name and leaned in closer to her.

"What?" She snapped, setting her goblet down with a small thud and turning to face him.

"Couldn't you just go and talk to him? I think it would do you both good."

"The only thing it will do is get us both into a fight." She sniffed, glaring determinedly.

"You've been avoiding the issue for weeks, Morgana. Surely it would be better to attempt to mend things than to pretend that Merlin doesn't exist for the rest of our lives?"

Morgana stayed silent but kept her glare fierce. She wasn't about to bend on this issue for anyone.

"Do it for my sake?" Arthur begged.

"No." She forced her voice to be hard and unyielding. Which was how she felt about this issue. Most definitely.

"Morgana." He pressed.

"No, I won't do it." She said. She was a bit put out that her voice came out more like a whine this time.

"Please?"

Oh no. Not that face. He hadn't used that particular face since they were children, and she'd hoped to never see it again.

"Oh, fine! Fine. I'll go talk to him if it will stop you from looking like some sick version of a wounded animal. Really, Arthur. It's completely childish and disgusting." She grumbled and stood with a huff. Arthur, the idiot, just laughed softly and gave her a small wave as she excused herself and stomped out of the room.

She'd only managed to continue her tirade down the hallway for a few moments when her foot collided with something, and she tumbled to the floor, catching herself with her hands.

She sat up, pushing her hair out of her face, and turned to find Merlin, sitting with his head buried in his knees, which were pulled up to his chest. He was shaking silently and looking every bit the innocent, kind friend she'd always thought he was. She knew better now, but the familiar sight still made her heart hurt all the same.

"Merlin." She said with conviction, determined to not let his theatrics get in the way of her having this conversation and getting it over with. He stiffened but didn't respond.

"Oh, stop that!" She declared angrily, standing to her feet and reaching down to shake his shoulders slightly.

"I'm sorry!" He suddenly exclaimed, and his head shot up rapidly, so fast that he slammed his head into the stone wall behind him, causing him to groan in pain.

He looked quite a fright. His eyes were red-rimmed, he had tear tracks running down his face, and his hands were noticeably shaking. He looked, for all intents and purposes, like the compassionate man she had once thought she'd known, and she yearned for the days when they'd had a simple friendship. When she would have been there to comfort him, and he for her. She frowned.

Merlin, noticing her ire, attempted to stand. Of course, being as clumsy as he was, his first attempt was so fast and earnest that it had him tripping and falling to the floor. The second attempt was more successful, but he still wavered somewhat where he stood, looking uncomfortably at the floor, and never at Morgana herself.

"I didn't mean to be in the way, my lady. I'll go now, and I swear, I won't get in your way again!" He rambled, looking close to another bout of tears.

"Oh quit the theatrics, Merlin. We both know that whatever you said to Arthur to get him to believe in your fake sincerity won't work on me. There's no need to pretend you actually care." She sneered once again.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" Merlin started again, but Morgana cut him off.

"Look, Arthur won't stop pestering me until I at least attempt to talk to you, unfortunately. So this conversation needs to happen. So can you just admit that you don't like me and that I don't like you, and we'll move on?" Morgana folded her arms in front of her and stared expectantly at Merlin.

Much to her surprise, Merlin didn't scoff at her, or even drop his frown, or do anything she'd expected from him. Instead, he looked absolutely heartbroken and forlorn, and, although he didn't resume crying, his hands did start to shake once again.

"I don't know what you expect me to say, my lady." He said so softly that she had to strain to hear him. "I already told you that I didn't see any other way. But if I had, I would have done anything else. I swear it."

His head shot up then, and his infinitely sad eyes locked with hers, refusing to look away. "I'll never be able to apologize enough, and I know you'll never forgive me, but I just don't know what else you want from me." He dragged one of his shaking hands through his hair distractedly. "I'm sorry, I screwed everything up. I hurt you. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I should have helped you, but I didn't. I'm just, so tired, Morgana. And I'm sorry." His hands dropped to his sides, his gaze fell to the ground again, and he moved to walk away from her.

"Wait!" She yelled out to him. He turned with guarded eyes to look at her.

"I want to believe you. I want to believe that this is all some giant misunderstanding. But you didn't just hurt me, you broke any sort of trust I had in you! How am I supposed to believe anything you say anymore?" She sighed angrily.

"Then I guess the best thing I can do is to continue to stay out of your way, my lady-"

"Oh stop with the 'my lady' business. You've never cared for titles before, don't start now." She sneered.

"Fine, then, Morgana. I'm going to go. You can tell Arthur that you tried to work things out and that it's my fault we couldn't make up." He turned to leave once again. And Morgana watched him go, thinking if only she could know what went on inside that ridiculous head of his, then maybe-

"That's it!" She cried out suddenly, an idea coming to her mind. Merlin, startled by her sudden outburst, almost tripped over his feet and turned to face her once again.

"What?" He said, sounding confused and slightly worried.

"You say all these things about how you felt, what you saw, but I can't know for sure that you're not lying to me. Unless I saw your memories for myself."

"What are you getting at?" He asked.

"If you're truly innocent, if you're really as sorry as you claim to be, then let me see your memories." She stared at him accusingly. "Unless you're scared of what I'll see because you are lying to me after all."

"I'm not lying, but I don't know how to show someone my memories. Is that even possible?"

"Please, for being such an 'absurdly powerful sorcerer' as Arthur keeps insisting you are, you really are dense." She sighed frustratedly. "Yes, it's possible. And yes, before you ask, I know how to perform the spell. Morgause taught it to me when we were still on speaking terms, although I'm not sure what she thought I'd use it for. I could even do it right now. It's a fairly simple spell."

"Could you not do it right this very second?" Merlin asked, suddenly looking very nervous. "I mean, it's just, we're in the middle of a corridor. And we're already taking a risk just talking about this out in the open."

Morgana simply rolled her eyes, grabbed his arm, and began dragging him in the direction of her chambers without another word. Merlin didn't respond, but he did sputter a little bit at first before falling silent and following behind her.

She pushed him inside her chambers with a little more force than necessary and shut and locked the door behind her.

"How does this work?" He asked. "What do I even do?"

"Just stand there quietly. I'll recite the spell, and you'll feel something prompting your memory. Just simply allow it to guide you, and think about whatever memory it leads you to. The spell will let me know if you're altering the memory in any way, so don't try anything. And although I won't be able to see any memory that you block from me, I will know that you are blocking it."

"Okay, I can do that." He responded shakily. "You only want to see the night of the, um, attack, right?"

"Yes." She responded shortly. "Now stand still, and let's get this over with. Close your eyes, it will help you focus."

Merlin nodded, letting his eyes fall shut. Morgana leaned forward, placing her hands on Merlin's temples, and with a few short, whispered words she found herself inside of Merlin's memory.

The memory flew past her as if she were in a dream, but the events she saw and Merlin's emotions were clear. She could feel his desperation as Arthur started falling asleep, his fear at the seemingly impossible situation he found himself in, and his confusion as to why she hadn't fallen prey as well to whatever spell plagued the kingdom. But none of these things meant he was sorry for what actually mattered to her, and she was still skeptical.

It was then that she was pulled into a memory that was filled with even more emotion that all of the rest she had seen before combined. Immense amounts of sorrow, anguish, and self-loathing overwhelmed her senses. She felt sick to her stomach with the weight of them. She watched in shock as Merlin held her while she was dying, as he cried over her still body, and as he bargained with Morgause for her life.

Suddenly, the memory came to an abrupt end, and she found herself collapsing to the floor in a state of shock.

"Merlin." She whispered his name sadly, feeling tears make their way down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered in response, dropping to the floor next to her, his hands reaching out as if to hug her, but pulling back at the last second and awkwardly fluttering around him instead as she cried.

She took pity on him, and with a small laugh tinged in sadness from her tears, she pulled him into a tight hug.

"No, Merlin, I'm sorry." She responded earnestly. "I've been horrid, haven't I?"

"No, no, no, you did nothing wrong!" His head shook side to side from where it was hidden in her shoulder. "I don't blame you. What I did was unforgivable, and of course, you would be angry at me, and-"

"It's still not excusable." She insisted, pulling back and looking at him. "I'm still slightly angry, and I think I always will be. I don't think I'll ever stop wondering what might have happened if you told me about your magic earlier, or if we'd tried to find another solution together. But neither of us can truly know the answers to any of those things. And, Merlin, I know now that you meant what you said to me the day you rescued me. I understand that you did the best you could."

Merlin didn't respond, simply stared at her, seemingly unable to believe her words.

"I'm so tired of being angry." She admitted. "I've been angry at so many people for so long. You, Uther, Morgause. I don't want to lose anyone else that I love, and I don't want to be so angry for the rest of my life." She brushed the tears off of her face tiredly and gave him a small smile. "Maybe we could start over? Without the deception, and the anger, and the lies? Can we be honest with one another?"

"Start over?" Merlin asked with hope in his voice.

"Yes. Like this." She stood and pulled Merlin to his feet with her, reaching out to grasp one of his hands in hers and shake it softly. "Pleased to meet you. I'm the Lady Morgana. I'm a very powerful witch, a seer, and I've been told that I may possibly have a nasty temper."

After a few seconds of silence, Merlin responded.

"Hi. I'm Merlin. I'm apparently the most powerful warlock to ever live, and I happen to be really bad at sharing my secrets with my friends."

Morgana chuckled softly and pulled Merlin into another hug, softer this time.

"Are we, okay, then?" Merlin whispered.

"Yes, Merlin. I think we are." She answered sincerely.

"I missed you, you know. You were one of the first friends I made in Camelot." She heard him say softly.

"I missed you too. Even when I was angry, I missed what things were like before all of this mess happened." She pulled back, putting distance between them once more.

A slightly stilted silence fell around them both.

"Well, I guess, I'll be going now." Merlin broke the silence with a small shrug and a half smile. "Goodnight, Morgana."

"Goodnight, Merlin." She said softly but sincerely as he exited the room.

She sat down on her bed heavily as he left, and looked towards the door.

She'd let her mind wander, thinking of nothing, for quite some time, when Gwen entered the room to help her prepare for bed.

"Morgana?" Gwen asked worriedly. "Are you alright? You look a little pale. Have you been crying?"

"I'm fine, Gwen." She answered, looking up at her dearest friend with a smile. "I'm more than fine, I think."

"Well, as long as you're sure you're alright." Gwen said reluctantly, moving towards the wardrobe.

Morgana simply smiled, stood, and prepared herself for bed. She had a feeling she would sleep well tonight.


	11. Hidden Talents

Author's Note: Only one more chapter left to this story after this one! Thank you to everyone who has been following along. Also, this chapter is more of a series of one-shots than anything. It's a bit different than the rest of the story has been so far, but I hope you all enjoy it all the same!

Oh, and by the way, I know nothing about medieval weaponry, so I relied on google. If it's wrong, I blame whatever random site I found my information on...

...

"This is useless." Merlin exclaimed in frustration as he threw his practice sword to the ground with a huff. Arthur, whom he had been sparring with, and the knights who were observing them, began to laugh good-naturedly.

"Oh, come on, Merlin! We've only been at this for a few hours." Gwaine said teasingly.

"No, we've only been at this for a few months, and I'm not improving in the slightest. It's hopeless!" Merlin replied as he threw his arms up in the air dramatically and glared in Gwaine's direction.

"You might have a point." Arthur smirked, looking all too amused.

"Am I allowed to tell you to shut up now that I'm a prince?" Merlin asked Arthur petulantly, turning his glare in his brother's direction.

"Not a chance." Arthur scoffed. "I reserve that right completely."

"Perhaps we need to change our approach, sire?" Leon interjected. "Maybe he would benefit from learning another style of footwork?"

"We've already tried that." Lancelot answered with a smile. "Unfortunately, our Merlin can mess up even the simplest of swordsmanship techniques." The group laughed again, and Merlin scowled at Lancelot. The traitor.

"What about teaching him to use another type of weapon?" Percival suggested.

"Another weapon?" Arthur echoed. "That might not be such a bad idea."

"That could work." Elyan added. "Many of the new squires learn better with staves, or archery, or longbows, after all. And the training they receive in other weapons can be used later to improve their sword fighting."

"How about working with a quarterstaff then, Merlin?" Arthur suggested. "It could help with your footwork. Possibly."

"Maybe something else?" Merlin suggested meekly. "Something easier for beginners?" Although he appreciated that his friends were attempting to help him, he couldn't help but cringe at the thought of having to swing a giant staff back and forth against the knights.

"What about archery, sire?" Leon suggested.

"Well, it won't help with his footwork, but it would at least give him a weapon for protection in the case of an emergency." Arthur mused. "Yes, I think that would be a good idea. Leon, have someone fetch us a practice bow for Merlin and have someone else set up a target. At the very least it will be amusing."

"Of course, sire." Leon replied, rushing away to complete Arthur's requests.

Before Merlin could protest or complain, Leon had returned and Merlin found himself being handed a bow while Arthur instructed him on how to position it to hit the target.

"That's probably enough knowledge for you to shoot without injuring yourself or others. Hopefully." Arthur finished his instruction and gestured towards the target, signaling for Merlin to let loose the arrow he was currently aiming.

"Right." Merlin answered with a sigh, resigned to his certain fate of being equally as awful at archery as he was at sword fighting. He focused his eyes on the target, held his breath, and let the arrow loose. As it flew he shut his eyes tightly, unwilling to watch where it would land.

He heard the knights gasp loudly. Great, he'd probably shot something important then. Since no one had yelled yet, he assumed it wasn't a person, at least.

"Merlin, mate." He heard Gwaine gasp.

"How? I don't. I've never seen..." Leon sputtered, his voice trailing off.

Merlin's curiosity got the better of him, and he slowly opened his eyes.

To his utmost shock and bewilderment, the arrow was exactly in the middle of the target.

He let out a shocked laugh. "Right, great joke. Very funny. Let's make Merlin think he actually hit a target. Good one. Now, where did it actually hit?" Merlin looked rapidly around the training field for any sign of where the arrow might have landed.

All of the knights turned silently to look at him. None of them laughed. In fact, they were looking at him as if he was stupid, which was rather rude. Merlin was well aware of his limitations in weaponry, thank you very much.

"You didn't use... magic, did you?" Arthur whispered harshly, looking at Merlin intensely.

"No, of course not." He scoffed, crossing his arms in front of him. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm not actually an idiot. And if I was going to use magic, I'd have used it to improve my awful sword fighting earlier, believe me."

"Fire another one." Elyan demanded as he thrust another arrow at Merlin suddenly. Merlin jumped slightly in shock, but he grabbed the arrow anyways.

"Sure, fine, whatever." He mumbled grumpily, and, without much preparation or thought, he let the arrow loose. This time he kept his eyes open on the arrow as it flew.

The arrow hit the target dead center again, knocking the previous arrow loose slightly.

Merlin stood in shock, staring wide-eyed at the target.

"Wow." Percival breathed, actually sounding impressed.

"Mate, that's amazing!" Gwaine exclaimed excitedly as he firmly patted Merlin's back.

"I had no idea you were so talented." Lancelot mused. Leon nodded his head in agreement.

"Well, he does have many hidden talents." Elyan teased.

"Merlin, I can't believe you hid this from me." Arthur added, sounding put out. "We could have avoided the whole debacle of your horrendous swordsmanship in the first place!"

"It's not like I could have known I'd be good at it!" Merlin snapped. "I've never shot an arrow before in my life!"

The knights all froze.

"Never?" Leon choked out.

"And you are sure you're not using any magic? Not even accidentally?" Lancelot asked.

"Uh, yes?" Merlin replied, confused. "Why? Is it strange that I hit the target?"

"Most people can't hit a target in its center on their first try, let alone hit the bullseye twice." Leon informed him, still sounding a bit shocked.

"Well, he's always been full of surprises." Percival drawled, a bit of a smile playing on his face.

"Yes, well, it would seem you're not totally useless with weapons, after all, Merlin." Arthur coughed, sounding almost pained to admit it.

Merlin simply beamed, feeling pretty satisfied with himself.

"Oh, wipe that ridiculous grin off of your face." Arthur grumbled. "You're by no means a perfect natural. I'm still going to be pushing you just as hard as I have been. Now, Leon, move the target. We'll see if his luck holds at a further target." Merlin simply laughed in response and readied another arrow.

...

Merlin was in a happy daze as he walked through the corridors of the castle towards his chambers, and he happily greeted the servants, nobles, and knights alike that passed him by. They looked pleasantly bemused at his open and friendly demeanor, as they always did.

Despite Arthur's best attempts to wear him out during training, Merlin still felt ridiculously pleased with himself for being so naturally gifted at archery. Obviously, Arthur had been right that his natural luck wouldn't hold, and he definitely wasn't perfect, but he'd still managed to be quite a good shot even when they kept moving the target further and further away. There was no telling how he'd do with a moving target yet, but Merlin still felt this was a big improvement from past training sessions where he'd barely escaped with his limbs intact.

Of course, just because Merlin had found luck in archery, it didn't mean he wasn't still as clumsy as always. Therefore, when Gwen came down the corridor with a large basket of laundry he barely managed to avoid knocking her over. As it was, he bumped into her basket, causing her to drop it in shock and scatter clothes around her.

"I'm so sorry, Gwen!" Merlin exclaimed sincerely. "Here, let me help." He bent down and started piling the clothing back into her basket as fast as he could manage.

Gwen smiled and giggled as she bent down as well. "It's fine, Merlin. I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Maybe, but still, I wasn't looking either. Although that's nothing new for me." He joked.

Gwen laughed merrily, putting the last of the laundry in the basket.

"You seem happy today." Gwen remarked, studying his face as they both stood to their feet. Merlin blushed slightly. "Mind if I ask what has you so pleased?"

"Just figured out I'm not totally useless at weapons is all." He shrugged, but the smile never fell from his face. "And, it annoyed Arthur, so..." He trailed off with a teasing smirk, causing Gwen to chuckle.

"I'm sure that made your day, and ruined his." She laughed. "I suppose I'll have to go visit him and cheer him up after I've finished with this laundry. If I have the time, that is. Say, Merlin, are you headed back towards your chambers?"

"Yes. What do you need?"

"I hate to ask, but would you mind taking something to Morgana?" Gwen asked, reaching into the basket and pulling out a small package. "She had me purchase this for her in the market earlier today, but I've just been so busy and I haven't been able to get it to her. But if you're going that way already, and it isn't too much trouble-"

"Sure, I'll take it to her." He smiled, taking the package from her hands. "You just go ahead and finish the rest of your work. I'll take care of it."

"Thank you so much, Merlin. I appreciate the help!"

"It's no problem at all. I'll see you later, Gwen."

Merlin walked away and headed quickly towards Morgana's chambers. He knocked softly on her door and waited until she called out for him to enter before heading inside.

"Merlin." Morgana greeted him warmly from where she sat at her desk, although her greeting was still a bit awkward. They'd made up, of course, but it was still a bit stunted conversationally between the two of them.

"Morgana." He smiled slightly. "Gwen asked me to give you this."

"Ah, thank you. I wondered where she'd gotten to." She took the package from his outstretched hand and sat it down on her desk. "I'm glad you came by, actually. There's something I wanted to speak with you about if you have the time. Won't you sit?"

Merlin nodded and pulled out a chair facing across from her.

"I suppose I'll get right to it. I have a question for you regarding magic."

"What about magic?" Merlin asked curiously.

"Well, when I was with Morgause, she taught me some things about my ability as a seer." Morgana replied, nervously playing with the sleeve of her gown. "She gave me this bracelet to help control my dreams," she held up her wrist to show Merlin the golden band, "and she taught me a few spells and basic things about magic. But I still feel as if I don't know anything useful. I want to be able to control my powers, to harness them. And I want to know, since you're supposedly very powerful, if you'd be willing to teach me how to do so?" She looked at him hopefully.

"Well, I..." He trailed off in shock.

"If you don't want to, I understand. Truly." She said, although her tone was a little tight.

"No, it's not that. I'd be happy to teach you what I know. It's just that, I don't think I really know much more than you do." He looked away from her in embarrassment. "I know that everyone says that I'm the most powerful sorcerer, but most of what I've been able to do has been instinctual and pure luck, really."

Morgana simply looked at him disbelievingly, so Merlin continued. "No, really! I mean, I do have a spell book, and that's definitely helped, but until I came to Camelot all of my magical talents came naturally. Things just happened without me planning or purposefully causing them. Learning spells has helped me control any accidental magic, but it doesn't mean I really understand it any better. I just go by feeling nowadays and hope for the best. It's worked for me so far, but from what I've learned of magic from other people, that's not normal." He ended with a shrug.

"How have you known how to combat spells that have been used against Camelot and Arthur, then? Is it all instinctual? Is that how you knew about Morgause's spell when she attacked Camelot? You felt it?"

"Oh, no, for that, I asked a... friend for help." Merlin answered reluctantly.

"A friend?" Morgana pushed.

"Uh, has anyone mentioned the fact that I'm the last Dragonlord to you yet?" He attempted a teasing tone.

"Dragonlord?" Morgana asked, her eyes wide. "Your 'friend' was the dragon? The dragon that was unleashed on Camelot?"

"You know about that?" Merlin asked.

"Well, Morgause received the news of the attack at the time when she was still talking to me and sharing information with me. So yes, I heard about it. Morgause seemed pleased to hear that a dragon was still living, and she was hopeful it would kill Uther. I was just worried about the innocent townspeople. That's when I first started doubting her, actually, now that I think about it. But that's beside the point. I assume you're the one who actually killed the dragon then, and not Arthur?"

"Well, you see, the funny thing about that is-" Merlin paused, and let out a sigh. "There's no easy way to say this, Morgana. I'm the one who set the dragon free in the first place, before I realized what he would do. And I didn't gain my dragonlord powers until the previous dragonlord, Balinor, died, which is a long story for another time. But, suffice it to say that once I had that connection with the dragon that being a dragonlord provides, I couldn't kill him. I sent him away with orders never to attack Camelot again. He has to obey me, so we're safe now."

"I'm not sure if I should be impressed by you, or angry, or disappointed, or pleased." Morgana mused, looking conflicted.

"Yeah, me neither." He admitted, slumping a bit in his seat at the thought.

"Well, after you sent the dragon away, where did you get your magical knowledge?" Morgana asked, attempting to change the subject.

"Uh..." Merlin trailed off.

"Merlin. Please tell me you haven't continued to talk to the dragon."

"I swear, he's better now!"

"I'm not sure I believe you." Morgana fixed him with a glare, causing him to shrink a bit further in his seat.

"He's helped me loads of times since then, and he hasn't asked for anything in return either! I promise!"

"Hmm..." Morgana said, still looking conflicted. "I'd like to meet him for myself to judge his character."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea." He confessed sheepishly. "I don't think he likes you very much."

"And why is that?" Morgana asked.

"He's convinced that you're going to kill me, or something. But I know you're not going to. Now, anyway."

"Oh, I don't know Merlin." Morgana teased. "You're certainly trying my patience today. Maybe one day I'll just snap."

Merlin snorted a small laugh. "Yeah, sure. And you'll make my life miserable, certainly. But kill me? Nah. You like me too much for that."

Morgana replied with a small smile and a roll of her eyes. "Ah, so you've found me out, have you?"

Merlin simply smiled innocently.

"Well, let's forget about you teaching me magic for now, then. If you don't think you can help me, do you think I could at least borrow your spellbook? It might help me to learn some more spells."

"Sure, and I can teach you what I've learned with the few spells I have managed to master if you'd like. But there's no guarantee that what has worked for me will work for you, of course."

"I'd appreciate any help, I assure you."

Merlin nodded in understanding. "If only we had a magical school in Camelot or someone who was actually trained in magic who could teach us. Unfortunately, all of the powerful magicians I've met have been trying to kill me, or Arthur, or Uther, so I certainly didn't have a chance to ask them for advice."

"You know, that's not a bad idea, Merlin." Morgana mused. "A magical school for children born with magic, and those who simply want to learn. It could teach helpful magic to improve the kingdom, like healing, spells that help the crops, defensive spells. We should mention it to Arthur. It might be something he'd be willing to implement in the future after the ban on magic is repealed."

"Maybe you should tell him. He's already trying to convince me to take up a bunch of other magic related positions once he's king. I don't think I can handle him insisting on another one."

"Ah, is this about the Court Sorcerer position?" She asked knowingly. "He mentioned you were reluctant to accept his offer. He's still hopeful he can change your mind."

"I just don't think I could handle all the courtly stuff that would come with that. I mean, I struggle enough with the basics they're teaching me now. Imagine me trying to juggle both magic and the court. It's a recipe for disaster! More than usual, I mean." Merlin shook his head to clear his thoughts. "I was thinking that, maybe, you'd be more willing to take the position?" He suggested to Morgana hopefully. "You've grown up in the court, you know how to work the system. And, even though you don't know that much about your magic yet, I know that you have a lot of natural ability. With a little training, I'm sure you'd be more than qualified for all aspects of the position."

Morgana looked a little shocked. "You'd give up the position, just like that? No regrets?"

"Sure." He answered honestly with a shrug. "I'm much happier working behind the scenes anyways. I would have happily remained Arthur's servant, but I really didn't have a choice after all of this prince stuff happened. I'd much prefer to remain Arthur's advisor, maybe be an ambassador to the druids or something since they seem to look up to me, but that's all. I'd be happy to leave the political intrigue to you."

"Well, the final decision will be left to Arthur, of course." Morgana responded. "But, I think you might be on to something. I'll consider the position. It's not like we're rushing to make a choice, anyways."

"Well, if you want, I can drop hints to Arthur about it if you'd like?" Merlin offered.

"Only if you promise me you'll do it subtly." Morgana replied with a slight smirk. "You know how Arthur hates being told what to do."

"Alright, deal." Merlin laughed and he stood from his chair. "Well, I'll see you later then, Morgana. Have a good evening."

"You as well, Merlin." She replied with an open smile, waving daintily as he left.

...

Arthur was currently running late for today's council meeting, and it was all Merlin's fault.

Merlin was nowhere to be found. No matter whom he had asked, no one had seen him all morning. Not Giaus, not Hunith, not their father, not Gwen or Morgana or the knights, not even any of the castles numerous servants had seen him.

Arthur knew, of course, that Merlin hated council meetings. His brother still felt out of place in the formal setting, and he sometimes remarked to Arthur that he felt he wasn't really contributing anything to the conversations going on around him. But, uncomfortable or not, Arthur still required him to attend the meetings with him and sit at his side. Not only was it necessary as his position as an advisor, but Arthur had needed the extra support since becoming regent.

It wasn't only Merlin that he'd added to the list of new council members, however. He'd insisted that all of his knights attend, despite how Gwaine kept complaining. He had plans to invite some servants as well, such as Guinevere, in the future. But, for now, he thought the new perspective of Merlin and his brothers in arms were a good improvement that would be more acceptable to the court.

Unfortunately, some of the older nobles in the council were not pleased with his additions. He'd caught them sneering at his closest knights more than a few times, and they often had whispered conversations that he couldn't completely make out when they thought he wasn't listening. They were smart enough to not say anything directly where he could hear them, but it was still obvious to him how unhappy they were with his choices. However, it didn't deter him. He was determined to make some changes to how he ran his kingdom. They would learn to support him in time.

Of course, for now, he needed to provide a united front of people who supported his ideals, meaning he had to require the attendance of those closest to him for the time being. Which led to his current problem.

Arthur was slowly growing more and more frustrated as he stormed down yet another corridor. Merlin knew how important these meetings were, and he knew how much it meant to Arthur that he attend. So, frankly, Arthur could see no reason for his sudden decision to be lazy and irresponsible!

On a whim, he changed his direction to head towards his personal chambers. It was the last place he could think of to check, but he'd run out of ideas at this point.

He threw open the door more forcefully than necessary, hoping to soothe his ire, and yelled out half-heartedly for his wayward brother. "Merlin!"

Surprisingly, Merlin was actually inside his chambers. He was sitting casually at Arthur's desk and staring with wide, startled eyes at the door and Arthur.

"What?" He asked, sounding confused and worried.

"Are you polishing my armor?" Arthur asked as he paused in the open doorway, forgetting for a moment what he had come for as he confusedly observed Merlin.

"Uh, yes?" Merlin responded cautiously. One of his hands was clutching a breastplate, and the other held a polishing rag tightly.

"Might I ask why?" Arthur sighed in annoyance.

"It, um, is relaxing." Merlin murmured, his gaze fixed on his hands. "And it helps me think."

"Think about what?"

"Stuff."

Arthur rolled his eyes at the lack of an answer and moved to stand in front of Merlin.

"You are aware that we are both needed at a council meeting in a few minutes, right?"

"Oh, is it that time already?" Merlin asked in fake ignorance.

Arthur sighed longsuffering, and he grabbed the rag and the armor out of Merlin's hand and sat them on the table.

"Hey, I was working on that!" Merlin huffed distractedly.

"Leave the chores to those who are being paid." Arthur replied, pulling Merlin to his feet. "Now, we're going to walk straight to the council room, and you're going to tell me what's wrong before we get there. Understood?" Without waiting for an answer, he began walking them briskly out of the door and down the hall.

"Nothing's wrong." Merlin said as he pulled his hand out of Arthur's firm grip and fell into step beside him. "Well, not really. It's just that I really, really don't like council meetings. That's all."

"Is this about all of the whispering I've been hearing lately from the nobles?" He asked.

"You know what they've been saying about me?" Merlin huffed, sounding annoyed, surprised, and a bit put out all at once.

"Ah, so they have been talking about you. I assumed that was the case, but they've been smart enough not to say anything where I can hear them yet. Just what have they been saying?"

"Nothing that isn't true. I'm a peasant pretending to be a prince, I have no place in a council meeting: just the usual concerns." He shrugged, looking far too comfortable.

"And you believe that to be true?" Arthur clarified.

"No, not really. I mean, I am a peasant at heart and I always will be. But I think I belong in the council meetings in a way. Maybe I'm not the smartest or the wisest, and people don't always listen to me, but I think I have ideas that can help. If I can figure out how to share them in a way people relate to, that is."

"Well, I'm glad you're not doubting the abilities of whom I allow in my council." Arthur smirked, faking arrogance but secretly relieved that Merlin was beginning to feel a bit more comfortable.

Merlin laughed lightly in response and looked thoughtful. "Do you think that if I speak up more, they might grow to accept me someday?"

"What a novel idea, Merlin." Arthur replied sarcastically. "If you do what you're actually required to do in a council session, you might be able to convince people you actually understand the function of our meetings."

Merlin simply scowled playfully at him in response.

"We are discussing 'peasant issues' today, as I heard a group term them recently, so it would be beneficial if you spoke up when you have something to say, instead of looking to other people to speak for you." Arthur suggested seriously.

"Yeah, sure." Merlin responded, sounding nervous but determined. "But don't blame me if they don't like what I say and take it out on you."

Arthur smiled at his brother, feeling secretly proud of the determination he had been showing.

"Of course not, Merlin. I'll simply have to start up your lessons in swordsmanship again should you embarrass me."

"You wouldn't." Merlin scowled, narrowing his eyes.

"Well, you'll just have to prove me wrong so you never find out."

...

Merlin sat up straight in his chair, trying to stay alert and not fall asleep. A long-winded nobleman whose name he couldn't be bothered to remember was speaking in depth about the state of Camelot's falconry, something that Merlin had no interest in whatsoever. Apparently, neither did the rest of the members of Arthur's council, as everyone, from the oldest of the nobles to the youngest of the knights, looked completely uninterested. He'd even noticed Gwaine nod off a few times, causing Leon to hiss angrily under his breath into Gwaine's ear to jolt him awake.

"Now, onto the matter of the collection of taxes in the lower town." Merlin was jolted out of his boredom by the sudden change in topic. And by Arthur's foot colliding with his shin under the table, but that was beside the point. He'd been paying attention. Honest.

"Ah, yes, I plan to enact some changes in that area." Arthur mused, interrupting the nobleman's monologue.

"Changes, sire?" Another of the older nobles spoke up. "Our taxes have remained more or less the same for many years. Since before even your father's reign, sire. What good would come about from changing how they are collected?"

"You misunderstand me. I don't plan on changing the method of collection, but rather the amount collected. I plan to lower it."

There were a few short gasps from the older members present, and the younger ones looked skeptical but interested.

"I believe this change will be beneficial for a number of reasons." He spoke strongly. "Merlin, you've experienced the life of a peasant. Would you care to elaborate on how lower taxes might have contributed to your wellbeing, and subsequently the kingdom?" Arthur turned towards him expectantly, a meaningful look on his face and a familiar playful glint in his eye. The absolute prat. He had been planning this.

"Right, sure." He mumbled with a quick glare towards Arthur.

"Do speak up Merlin." Arthur said with a smirk. "I know you have plenty to share. We spoke on this only yesterday."

And they had. They'd discussed how people would be more loyal to those who provided for them and didn't take what little they had, about how workers would be more willing to work harder for more coin, how it would benefit those who came and sold their wares in the market, and how it would bring more money back to the kingdom.

He sat up as straight as he could, smoothed out his nervous facial expression, and spoke as firmly and clearly as he could manage.

He may not have grown up in the court, but Arthur thought he belonged here, and so did the knights and Morgana and Gwen, and even Uther. He could do this.

...

Since his injury, and the return of all of his children, family dinners had become the most pleasant part of Uther's week. They'd become even better recently as Merlin and Morgana had begun to finally get along with one another. He wasn't sure what had caused the change, but he was glad of it all the same.

It made for a joyful experience to have all of his children gathered around the table, laughing and talking with one another. He still couldn't believe his good fortune most days, that, despite all that had happened in his life and the misfortune he had suffered, all of his children were here with him, in Camelot. Of course, things were still a bit stunted with Merlin, and a bit chilly where Morgana was concerned, but regardless, he still felt happy for the first time since Ygraine had passed.

Tonight, he was dining with all of his children in his chambers once again. Gauis and the peasant woman who had raised Merlin, Hunith, were not present this evening, although they had been invited. Uther was surprised to find he missed their company, especially Hunith's. The woman had a keen mind, despite her low upbringing, and he enjoyed gaining more of an understanding of Merlin through her stories. However, it was nice to dine only with his children once in a while.

It had been a relaxing evening overall, but Uther still felt tired. He grew more and more tired by the day, unfortunately, so he was glad to find the conversation dying down and his children preparing to leave.

As they stood, Uther gave his goodbyes to both Arthur and Morgana. But before Merlin could leave, Uther asked him to stay for a few more moments.

Reluctantly, Merlin sat back down at the table, still somewhat nervous to be alone in his presence.

"I hear you provided some expertise today during the council meeting." Uther said, making sure to keep the tone of his voice neutral so as not to worry his son.

"Yes, sire." Merlin responded timidly.

"I also hear that a few of the strict council members were forced to reluctantly admit you were correct?"

"I guess. But I think they were more afraid of Arthur than anything. He was staring them down the entire time."

"I also heard you managed to show some skill with a bow and arrow recently as well?" He added.

Merlin perked up, his nervousness falling away. "Yeah, I've managed to hit the target loads of times this week. Even Leon was impressed!"

"Well, I'm proud to say you're growing well into the role of a prince, Merlin. I will admit I had my doubts before about how you would handle your responsibilities, but I am happy to say that you are proving me wrong."

"Thank you, sire." Merlin responded, his eyes wide in shock.

"I expect that you will continue to work hard, yes? You still have quite a ways to go, after all."

"Of course sire." Merlin stammered in response.

"Good. Then, you are dismissed." Uther smiled at his son, and Merlin nervously rose to his feet.

He stepped one step back, as if to leave, then paused, his brow furrowed in thought.

Then, much to Uther's equal dismay and delight, his son lunged forward suddenly and wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. Uther brought up his hands awkwardly and stiffly patted his son's back, unsure of how to handle such a situation. His only other experiences in such things had been with Arthur, and the boy was emotionally stunted at best.

"Goodnight, Father." Merlin said softly, pulling away from the hug with an embarrassed blush on his cheeks and a brilliant smile on his face.

"Goodnight, Merlin." Uther replied warmly, watching his son leave the room. He chuckled quietly as Merlin almost slammed into the doorframe as he left, too busy looking behind himself at Uther to watch where he was going,

Uther fell back into his seat and allowed a ridiculously large grin to come to his face.

Yes, his life had been difficult, and maybe he had made the wrong decisions about many things, but, right now, Uther was beyond blessed.


	12. Epilogue

Author's note: Well, we've finally reached the conclusion of this story. This chapter serves as more of an epilogue than anything, but I felt like it was necessary to make sure everything was wrapped up nicely. I'm not planning on a sequel to this story at the moment, but if any of you guys have any idea of things you'd like to see, I _may_ consider revisiting the idea in the future. I think a series of one-shots might be fun, if I can think of enough things to write about. No promises though. But, regardless, thank you all for coming with me on this journey! I've appreciated all of your kind comments and support! I'm so glad you've all been enjoying this story.

...

Merlin ran wildly down the corridor in a hurry to get to Arthur's chambers as soon as possible. His ceremonial Camelot red cloak billowed behind him impressively as he ran, in stark contrast to his natural clumsiness as he bumped into fondly exasperated servants and nobles alike on his way. But he didn't have time to slow down, not today.

"Arthur!" Merlin cried out excitedly, tossing the doors to his brother's chambers open with a loud bang as he rushed into the room. "Are you ready yet?"

Arthur was standing in the middle of the room attempting to close the clasp on his new cloak, to no avail. He let out an incoherent grumble, both at the offending clasp and at Merlin's lack of decorum.

"Here, let me help." Merlin offered, reaching out to fix the clasp with practiced fingers. "Why on earth didn't you have George do this?" He mumbled distractedly as he fussed with Arthur's clothes.

"I don't need a servant to do everything for me Merlin." Arthur huffed in response. "I can dress myself, you know."

"Oh, can you?" Merlin teased as he stepped back to inspect his work. "That's certainly a change. I seem to remember you saying something quite different when I was still your manservant. It's good to see you finally growing up, Sire."

"Oh, shut up." Arthur snapped, but the effect was dampened by the smirk on his face.

"Are you ready for this?" Merlin asked seriously. "This is huge, after all. It's your coronation! You're really going to be king now, no going back. Are you nervous yet, because a lot could go wrong, you know, and-"

"Merlin." Arthur sighed heavily, cutting off Merlin's rambling.

Merlin grinned sheepishly and pulled Arthur in a for a quick hug that was as much for his benefit as it was Arthur's.

The events leading up to Arthur's coronation had been an emotionally draining whirlwind for the both of them, but not unexpected in the least.

As Uther had slowly grown weaker and weaker physically, the whole kingdom had been preparing themselves for the approaching day when Arthur would become king. Then, a week ago, the king had passed peacefully in his sleep.

Merlin had felt sorrowful at the loss of his father. Although he had never really grown as close to their father as Arthur had, he had grown to love the man all the same. But Arthur had been deeply affected by his father's loss, and it had saddened Merlin to watch his brother mourn him. However, he and Morgana had sat up with Arthur the entire night after Uther's funeral services had concluded, both understanding what it was like to lose someone you loved as a parent, and together they had mourned as a family. Although the pain was still fresh, together, they were moving on.

But, despite the lingering sadness, Merlin was happily embracing the change that accompanied it. He knew it was time, time for Arthur to take his rightful place as the king of Camelot. Merlin could feel the rightness of it in his bones.

Arthur had grown so much since he had met him. He'd shown himself to be deserving of the crown time and time again as regent, with his wisdom and love for the people. Granted, he was still a prat, and that would never change, but Merlin was proud of him and what he had accomplished for the residents of the kingdom.

Of course, there was only so much he could do without the official title of King. But now, he would finally be able to enact all of the changes they had been discussing together for some time now.

The first act Arthur would complete as King had been planned out for months now, and all those closest to them, Morgana, Hunith, Gauis, and the knights, were all ready to support them through it. It would be the repealing of the ban on magic, and the announcement that both the Prince and the Lady Morgana had magical abilities. Merlin was so excited he was fit to burst, even if he was a bit worried about how the kingdom would react at first. But he knew that no matter their reactions, they would come out of this for the better. And, he knew that the people adored Arthur enough already that they would come to accept the changes he would bring.

Morgana had, thankfully, accepted the position of Court Sorceress, leaving Merlin free to pursue other interests. She would be instated into the position today after the coronation and the declaration of the repeal of the ban. She had told Merlin just this morning that she was excited to test wits with the council members over the many issues they were sure to have with her new position. Merlin was simply happy to leave her to it. Court intrigue still escaped him, no matter how long he was exposed to it.

Merlin himself had appeased Arthur by agreeing to become an ambassador to the Druids, something that he both enjoyed and dreaded in equal measure. He was constantly fascinated by their peaceful way of life, and he loved having talks with their elders about magic, but he hated the long periods of time he spent away from Camelot and Arthur. And the way they treated him, as the "great Emrys", was a bit unsettling at times. But usually, he enjoyed the time he spent with the different druid tribes. He'd visited with them secretly a few times before Uther's passing to help begin preparations for the peace talks Arthur was planning. But soon, once magic was legal and Arthur was a bit more settled as King, they planned to invite them to return to the lands nearer to Camelot that had been taken from them in the great purge.

Even farther in the future, Merlin and Morgana both hoped to seek out those who would be willing to teach magic within Camelot. Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly according to Morgana, Merlin had known a bit more about magic than he had realized, but there was still a lot he needed to learn before he felt comfortable teaching anyone else. Isildur, the leader of one of the druid tribes, had offered to teach him what he knew, stating what an honor it would be to teach Emrys. Merlin planned to take him up on the offer the moment he had time, and hopefully, learn a bit more about the prophecy of the Once and Future King and Emrys in the process.

"Merlin?" Arthur said amusedly, startling Merlin out of his musings. "Are you alright? You spaced out for a moment."

"Sorry." Merlin replied sheepishly. "There's just a lot of things on my mind, that's all."

"Yes, there are a lot of things on my mind as well." Arthur replied, his hands fidgeting nervously with the hilt of his sword. "And there are so many things to be done. Legalizing magic, peace talks with the other kingdoms, and-"

"Wait, what?" Merlin interrupted petulantly. "Peace talks? You didn't tell me you were planning peace talks already! I thought you were waiting!"

"I don't tell you everything." Arthur replied with a laugh. "I have to keep some secrets from you, now don't I?"

"Yeah, sure, but just you remember, I'm sneaky. I'll figure things out sooner or later. After all, who knew about your feelings for Gwen even before you did?" He smirked at Arthur teasingly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Arthur blushed and looked away.

"Sure you don't." Merlin laughed. "But I'm expecting you to propose within the month, just so you know. And you better do it too, because the knights and I have a bet going and I plan to win."

"You're betting over my love life?" Arthur replied, sounding a bit offended.

Thankfully, before Merlin could respond, there was a knock at the door. Morgana entered, followed closely behind by Hunith.

"Mother!" Merlin exclaimed happily, rushing over to embrace her. "You look lovely!" She was wearing a gown befitting a lady of the court, and her hair was done in a simple yet elegant braid instead of in her usual headscarf. But it was her smile that was the most beautiful thing she wore. She practically radiated happiness.

"Thank you, Merlin." She said as she placed a quick peck on his cheek. "The lady Morgana was kind enough to lend me a gown befitting the occasion." She walked past Merlin and towards Arthur, embracing him as well.

Seemingly sensing Arthur's nerves, she embraced him just a bit longer than normal before letting go. Merlin smiled at the sight, pleased beyond measure that Hunith had chosen to stay in Camelot and assist Gaius. Much to his delight, she had become somewhat of a surrogate mother to both Arthur and Morgana, providing them both the motherly affection they had so desperately craved. Arthur especially had sorely needed it, and it had done wonders for him.

"I'm so proud of you." She said softly, planting a kiss on Arthur's blushing cheek and patting his hand softly. "All of you." She continued, turning to face Merlin and Morgana.

"Now, let me look at you." Hunith added, stepping back to look Arthur over with a critical eye. Noticing something out of place, or maybe imagining it, she reached forward and began to fuss with his cape and armor.

Morgana snickered a bit at how uncomfortable he looked at all of the motherly affection he was receiving, and Merlin cocked her a small smile.

"You're just as worried as Merlin." Arthur mumbled as she finished fussing and stepped back.

"I'll take that as a compliment, then." She said with a small laugh and a smile. "I think I raised him well enough, after all."

"Are we ready then, Mother?" Merlin asked.

"Yes, I dare say we are." She replied with a small nod.

"Do I get any say in when we're ready?" Arthur grumbled.

"Of course not." Morgana said with a chuckle, turning to lead them all out of the door. "None of us trust your judgment." She added over her shoulder with a wink.

Arthur made a sound of mock offense, and Merlin simply laughed.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Merlin asked softly, falling into step beside Arthur and allowing the ladies to walk ahead of them.

"Yes, Merlin. I'm ready." Arthur replied. He squared his shoulders, and, at that moment, he looked every bit the great king Merlin knew he would become.

It had been a long time coming, and the path hadn't been easy, but Merlin could see it. The golden age was just over the horizon. There would certainly still be trials to face, but the future that the dragon had spoken of, the future of freedom for all, was almost here.

And together, with their friends and family beside them, Merlin and Arthur would face the future side-by-side, as they'd always done. As brothers.


End file.
